Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has rejected the demands of Poland and the Baltic countries to withdraw mercenaries of the Wagner PMC from the country. However, he expressed his readiness to "restore good relations" with the neighbors and for this reason invited Polish representatives to the CSTO military exercises, the presidential administration reports.


At a meeting of the Security Council of Belarus on August 31, Lukashenko said: "NATO countries are persistently promoting their expansion policy, increasing their military presence around Belarus, constantly conducting provocative exercises on our borders and other actions. It has already come to the point of violating the state border by military personnel."

Lukashenko called the threats emanating from the territory of Belarus "mythical" and said that Poland and the Baltic countries are creating "hysteria" around the presence of Wagner mercenaries in the country. According to him, these countries are "increasing their military budgets and concentrating large military formations near the borders."

"The answer is simple: there should be no foreign military personnel in Poland, Lithuania, or other Baltic countries. Then we can make claims about the presence of military personnel from other countries here," - Lukashenko said.

He called the current demands for the withdrawal of Wagner mercenaries "unfounded and stupid."