We don't dance to Putin's, Lukashenko's tune – Lithuanian def min
Wagner troops (Photo:REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko)
The Minister for National Defence of Lithuania, Arvydas Anusauskas, has called on European politicians "not to dance to the [tune of] disinformation" of dictators Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko amid the latest threat to attack Poland.
"Let's stop dancing to the disinformation claims of Pu (Russian dictator Vladimir Putin) and Lu (Belarusian self-proclaimed president Alexander Lukashenko). The capabilities and firepower of the Lithuanian army has changed a lot in the past year, not to mention our allies' armies," he wrote on Facebook on July 24.
Anusauskas said that Lithuania is able to simultaneously eliminate several hundreds of armored and unarmored targets, including tanks.
"Finally, let us not forget that we are integrated in the entire NATO defense system," he said.
Anusauskas said the dictators should "be scared of their own shadow" and not underestimate the power of the Lithuanian army which will gain additional capabilities soon, including HIMARS, NASAMS, and electronic warfare tools.
During a recent meeting with Putin, Lukashenko said that Wagner Group mercenaries stressed him out because they allegedly want to attack Poland.
Wagnerites in Belarus: What is Known
Russian mercenary company Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced the beginning of an armed conflict with the Russian Defense Ministry on the evening of June 23, claiming that he wanted to “restore justice” in Russia.
The one-day munity was halted after negotiations between Lukashenko and Prigozhin.
Putin presented the Wagner troops with three options, one of which involved their deployment to Belarus.
Shortly after, reports emerged of camp constructions in Belarus intended to accommodate the Wagner fighters. Satellite images of a potential private military contractor field camp were subsequently released. While Lukashenko denied the existence of any camps specifically for the Wagner troops, he mentioned that they would be “provided with accommodation” if necessary.
According to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Belarus has the capacity to host approximately 8,000 Wagner PMC mercenaries. However, Ukrainian intelligence cautioned against premature conclusions regarding the transfer of Wagner fighters to Belarus.
Later, information surfaced suggesting that the Wagner fighters in Belarus would be involved in training Belarusian nationals for combat. This statement was supported by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and on July 12, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus confirmed negotiations regarding the training of Belarusian special forces.
Meanwhile, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine announced on July 14 that Russia had withdrawn nearly all of its military personnel from Belarus.
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