Belarus Defense Minister: Probability of War Against Russia and Belarus ‘Extremely High’

MOSCOW — Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin has issued a stark warning, stating that the likelihood of a military conflict being unleashed against Russia and Belarus is now “extremely high” and could rapidly escalate into a global confrontation.

Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin delivered a sobering assessment at a CSTO Defense Ministers meeting in Moscow on Wednesday, warning that the risk of military conflict involving Russia and Belarus is alarmingly elevated amid NATO’s military build-up in Eastern Europe.

“Assessing the current situation in the Eastern European region, we must acknowledge that the probability of unleashing a military conflict against the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus — both members of the CSTO — as well as the possibility of its subsequent transformation from a regional into a global conflict, is extremely high,” Khrenin stated.

He highlighted NATO’s ongoing rearmament efforts, the increasing capacity for rapid troop deployment, and the strengthening of military presence in Poland and the Baltic states. “Officially, we are talking about more than 20,000 troops involved in operations to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank, supplemented by dozens of alliance military exercises,” he added.

Khrenin emphasized the urgent need for the CSTO to demonstrate unity and readiness. “These challenges require unconditional consolidation, high-speed decision-making, and the ability to act as a single organism,” he warned.

On the same day, Khrenin held bilateral talks with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov. The two discussed the necessity of deepening military cooperation in response to ongoing NATO activities along the borders of the Union State of Russia and Belarus.

He also recalled the recent successful joint exercises of Belarusian and Russian nuclear forces, conducted under the leadership of Presidents Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin.

Khrenin described these drills as a significant demonstration of interoperability and a reinforcement of security guarantees between the two allies.