Belarus says there is a possibility for a direct military clash with NATO

Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin says the possibility of a direct military clash with NATO in the future seems obvious, according to a report by the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

The major general said intensive military preparations are under way in the West and huge amounts of money are being invested in it.

The deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus is an appropriate response to the rapid militarization of Eastern Europe, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in his message to participants in the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security.

"By deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, we are appropriately responding to the rapid militarization of Eastern Europe and the increased military activities of the United States and NATO," Lukashenko pointed out, as cited by his press service, TASS reported.

However, this does not cancel out the peace initiatives that Minsk is promoting "in order to relaunch a dialogue on issues pertaining to European and global security on an equal footing," he added.

The Belarusian leader stressed that the international situation was tense like never before. "International laws on arms control have been discredited," Lukashenko noted, adding: "The risks are growing that weapons of mass destruction will be used, particularly for provocations involving nuclear and biological weapons."