China adds Pakistan, Belarus to build lunar base: Report
China has roped in Pakistan and Belarus to its moon programme that aims to construct a permanent lunar base in the 2030s.
China has roped in Pakistan and Belarus to its moon programme that aims to construct a permanent lunar base in the 2030s.
The Russian leader's comments follow claims from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko this week that his nation received the first part of the "bombs and missiles from Russia."
Earlier, Putin made a statement about plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in the territory of Russia's neighbour and ally.
Throwing Belarusian troops into the fight would likely change little in the long-term, but could open up short-term tactical advantages for Putin with the battle currently at a stalemate.
Putin also offered Lukashenko to upgrade, at Russian aircraft factories, SU-25 aircraft that are in service with the Belarusian army, and to begin training flight crews.
The author of the unhinged action ~ one characterised by the European Union as a “gangster” approach ~ is Alexander Lukashenko, the dictator who rules Belarus and who has fashioned what he considers is a solution to Europe’s refugee crisis by allowing thousands of them into his country only to push them over the border into Poland.
The narrative of the region suggests that Lukashenko's use of a migrant crisis to destabilize neighbours is unlikely to trigger any rethink on Western sanctions over his violent crackdown on the opposition after last summer’s presidential election, which ignited massive protests over widespread assertions that the outcome was rigged to keep the President in power.
The travel sanctions were triggered by the sentencing of two journalists who had live-streamed an enormous protest in Minsk against Lukashenko’s rule in November.
As President Alexander Lukashenko seeks to crush the biggest challenge yet to his 26-year rule, the crackdown has left nearly all main organizers of antigovernment protests in detention or exile.
The European Union does not recognize the results either and has threatened to impose sanctions on individuals responsible for violence, repression and election fraud.
