“In case of aggression, the response will be swift, tough and fair,” Lukashenko said on Monday.
Defense Minister Viktor Khrinin said the Territorial Defense Force would have 100,000–150,000 volunteers or more if needed. The paramilitary force would ideally be set up in every village and town.
According to the 2022 International Institute for Strategic Studies Military Balance, the country’s professional army has about 48,000 soldiers and about 12,000 state border troops.
A pariah in the West, Lukashenko, Europe’s longest-serving monarch who has led Belarus for 28 years, is dependent on Russia politically and economically, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s support has set him up for a major victory in 2020. Helped avoid large scale pro-democracy protests.