Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to deploy the Oreshnik missile systems in Belarus.
"Recently, Russia successfully launched the Oreshnik [missile], this had some impact on our former partners and current rivals […] I would like to publicly ask you to have the new weapons systems, primarily Oreshnik, deployed on the territory of Belarus," Lukashenko said after the Supreme State Council of the Union State in Minsk.
The Russian side could be responsible for the maintenance of modern weapons before the Belarusian specialists are given relevant instructions, Lukashenko added.
"Since we have today signed a treaty on security guarantees using all available forces and means, I believe that the deployment of such complexes as Oreshnik on the territory of the Republic of Belarus is possible. Secondly, I think it will be possible in the second half of next year, when the serial production of these systems in Russia will increase and these missile systems will be put into service with the Russian strategic forces," Putin responded.
It is necessary to resolve a number of technical issues, including the determination of the minimum range, before deploying the Oreshnik systems in Belarus, the Russian president said, adding that the Russian military and Belarus will receive the Oreshnik systems simultaneously.
The Belarusian president also said that Minsk wants to be responsible for determining targets for Oreshnik systems that could be deployed in Belarus in the future.
"Of course, despite the fact that they will be part of the complex of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, nevertheless, the determination of targets on the territory of a probable enemy will certainly be the prerogative of the military and political leadership of Belarus," Putin said after the Supreme State Council of the Union State.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday signed the Russia-Belarus treaty on mutual security guarantees, a Sputnik correspondent reported.