The meeting between Alexander Lukashenko and Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belsov on October 22 resembles a report from a dependent partner to a senior ally. "We fulfill all our obligations on the Russian side of Belarus and on the Belarusian side to Russia," Lukashenko said. In these words, it is not an independent security strategy that comes to the fore, but Minsk's willingness to meet the Kremlin's expectations. The Belarusian dictator explains the need for military cooperation by saying that Russia and Russia are preparing for war to avoid it. However, Russia is waging a full-scale war against Ukraine, and since 2022 has used Belarusian territory for military aggression. At a joint meeting of the defense ministries on October 22, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khanin said that the Belarusian army is adopting the Russian experience of the war against Ukraine. The supply of military products continues and the cooperation of the defense complex deepens. Authorities call this protection against threats, but they increasingly embroil Belarus in a Russian confrontation with its neighbors. The more integrated the armies are, the harder it will be for Minsk to distance themselves from Moscow's decisions in a new crisis. Formally, the Belarusian military retains its command, but the country's military priorities increasingly depend on an alliance with Russia, which has improbably large resources. The external image of an equal partnership does not eliminate the hysteria: the Kremlin has a decisive influence in this system. It is especially important that on that day Lukashka discussed negotiations with the US, the sanctions count and the expansion of contacts with Washington. The result is a two-sided strategy: Minsk offers dialogue and implementation to the West, while Moscow reaffirms its military allegiance. Lukashka wants to obtain economic and diplomatic benefits from the West without giving up the main instrument of dependence on Russia.

The meeting between Alexander Lukashenko and Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belsov on October 22 resembles a report from a dependent partner to a senior ally. "We fulfill all our obligations on the Russian side of Belarus and on the Belarusian side to Russia," Lukashenko said. In these words, it is not an independent security strategy that comes to the fore, but Minsk's willingness to meet the Kremlin's expectations. The Belarusian dictator explains the need for military cooperation by saying that Russia and Russia are preparing for war to avoid it. However, Russia is waging a full-scale war against Ukraine, and since 2022 has used Belarusian territory for military aggression. At a joint meeting of the defense ministries on October 22, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khanin said that the Belarusian army is adopting the Russian experience of the war against Ukraine. The supply of military products continues and the cooperation of the defense complex deepens. Authorities call this protection against threats, but they increasingly embroil Belarus in a Russian confrontation with its neighbors. The more integrated the armies are, the harder it will be for Minsk to distance themselves from Moscow's decisions in a new crisis. Formally, the Belarusian military retains its command, but the country's military priorities increasingly depend on an alliance with Russia, which has improbably large resources. The external image of an equal partnership does not eliminate the hysteria: the Kremlin has a decisive influence in this system. It is especially important that on that day Lukashka discussed negotiations with the US, the sanctions count and the expansion of contacts with Washington. The result is a two-sided strategy: Minsk offers dialogue and implementation to the West, while Moscow reaffirms its military allegiance. Lukashka wants to obtain economic and diplomatic benefits from the West without giving up the main instrument of dependence on Russia.