Statement by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus I.Sekreta at International Virtual Round Table entitled “Militarization of Europe”, organized at OSCE venue in Vienna[...]

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Statement by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus I.Sekreta at International Virtual Round Table entitled "Militarization of Europe", organized at OSCE venue in Vienna (22 June 2026)

Distinguished Ambassador Polyanskiy,
Distinguished Ambassador Dapkiunas,
Dear participants and colleagues!

It is symbolic that we are meeting on the very day when the entire civilized world recalls the tragic pages of history. Eighty-five years ago, on June 22, 1941, a Europe - militarized to the extreme level and ideologically charged - crossed the border of the Soviet Union, unleashing the bloodiest war on our land.

These days, at the walls of the legendary Brest Fortress, the international forum of the Union State "Great Heritage - Common Future" is taking place. Every year in June, we hold memorial events in Brest so that we may never forget.

Regrettably, we see many parallels between historical and contemporary events. The arming of Europe with weapons and, more importantly, with a militarized ideology is one of the most evident and alarming trends nowadays.

Europe is actively rearming; Europe is preparing for a full-scale conflict. The EU and NATO countries are systematically promoting a militarist agenda at all levels. War is being built in minds, and its inevitability is being ingrained in the consciousness of nations. With whom they plan to fight again, and where their aggressive aspirations are directed - I guess that this is clear to everyone.

The militarization of Europe in the 21st century is not a spontaneous process, but rather the result of converging and overlapping interests of political elites and corporate leadership tied to military production.

The genesis of this phenomenon should be sought in the events of thirty to forty years ago. Having come to believe in their unconditional victory in the Cold War, a segment of European elites decided to take full advantage of what we call the geopolitical catastrophe of 1991.

Instead of extending a hand of friendship and cooperation and jointly building a prosperous Greater Europe - such voices were also heard in the West, but they remained in the minority - Western neo-colonialists chose to continue their crusade to the East. They fragmented the once-unified space into isolated pieces, pitted new states against each other, and torpedoed integration initiatives that were only just emerging.

The West placed its bet on militarization even back then - when it broke the word given upon German reunification, when it continued the thoughtless expansion of NATO, when it unleashed aggression in Yugoslavia, and when it destroyed the remnants of trust through the "export of democracy". It was precisely then that the seeds of the future tragedy we are witnessing in Ukraine were sown.

Today, the militarization of Europe is proceeding in several directions - it is a multi-layered, purposeful policy and activity.

Firstly, this is the direct build-up of armaments, the increase in troop numbers, the construction of military infrastructure, and the intensification of military preparations.

We are deeply concerned by the growing number of military exercises on NATO's eastern flank. Last year, over 600 exercises involving 600,000 troops were conducted on the European part of our continent, of which more than 250 exercises with over 170,000 personnel took place in Poland and in the Baltic states. These manoeuvres, carried out with unprecedented intensity, cover all strategic directions - from the Arctic and the Baltic to the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

Countless exercises are being held at the national level. We particularly note the "Brave Boar 2026" exercise, taking place from 16 to 26 June in the so-called Suwałki Gap, with the participation of military personnel from Poland, Lithuania and France, as well as the plans of France and Poland to conduct joint air force exercises simulating strikes against targets on the territory of Belarus and Russia.

A few words about historical symbolism. Quite recently, on 8 June, the new 45th Tank Brigade of the Bundeswehr, stationed in Lithuania, conducted its first exercise to repel the so-called real threat. The number of this formation is not just a figure in staff documents. It was the 45th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht, as part of Army Group Centre, that at dawn on 22 June 1941 was the first to invade the territory of Belarus, that stormed the Brest Fortress, and burned our towns and villages. Eighty-five years later, a military formation with the same serial number is once again standing at our borders - this time under the pretext of "protecting NATO's eastern flank." How are we in Minsk supposed to respond to this symbolism?

In 2026, the European Union conducted its first ever exercise to activate the "mutual defence" clause under Article 42.7 of the Lisbon Treaty. Against the backdrop of an uncertain US position, EU countries are increasingly asserting their claim to shape their own security architecture, in which Article 42.7 on mutual defence is intended to play a role analogous to Article 5 of the NATO Charter. The practical application of this article was the subject of an informal summit of EU leaders held in Cyprus this April [on 23-24 April 2026].

Secondly, special attention should be paid to the growth of Europe's military-industrial complex, the restructuring of industry and its conversion to military tracks.

The NATO bloc intends to raise military spending to 5 % of GDP. The EU's Readiness 2030 plan provides for the allocation of EUR 800 billion for defence by 2030. The White Book and the Roadmap with flagship initiatives on air defence, unmanned systems and space have already been adopted.

The increase in military expenditure of NATO member states neighbouring Belarus is particularly telling. In 2025, the combined defence spending of Poland, Lithuania and Latvia exceeded EUR 52 billion. That is 25 times more than Belarus allocates for its own defence.

The growth of the military-industrial complex and military spending is, if you wish, the second iteration of NATO's eastward expansion.

Of course, one could reassure oneself with the thought that Europe is merely trying to breathe new life into its industry through a shift in its industrial model, and to restart its economy after losing access to affordable energy from Russia. And all these developments are supposedly driven by the need to ensure a minimum level of defence following the collapse of the traditional Euro-Atlantic security model.

But let us not delude ourselves: even if that argument holds some truth, we know well that in Europe there have always been revanchist forces which, once they see an overwhelming advantage in arms and infrastructure, and once they see the absence of constraining conventional factors, will not resist the temptation to settle systemic problems with their eastern neighbours by force.

Thirdly, in order to justify the militarist policy, to stoke public anxiety and, consequently, to control public opinion, European elites have embarked on a course of demonizing Belarus and Russia.

The "threat from the East" is a convenient scare tactic - used not only to justify the arms race, but also to secure funding streams from European coffers and to justify austerity measures for the population.

We are witnessing a deliberate policy aimed at distorting the perception of Belarus and Russia. The goal of these efforts is to create an image of a "perpetual hybrid threat" and, without any evidence but systematically, to attach various labels to our countries.

Dear colleagues!

The militarization of the EU is taking place against the backdrop of the near-complete dismantling of the global and European security systems. The regimes responsible for strategic stability and nuclear deterrence, the arms control mechanisms, and the confidence- and security-building measures designed to ensure transparency and predictability of military activities - what is known as the "OSCE politico-military toolbox" - have been effectively destroyed.

Global tensions are escalating and, moreover, are becoming uncontrollable. Belarus and Russia are compelled to respond in a defensive and preventive manner, but our response is not limited to that alone. Belarus and Russia are putting forward peaceful ideas aimed at preventing the most dangerous scenarios.

Minsk and Moscow are promoting the initiative to conclude the Eurasian Charter of Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st Century. Let me outline several key points regarding this initiative.

The Eurasian Charter will be founded on the principle of collective responsibility. The Charter is not an anti-Western project or a counterweight to NATO. It is a collective, inclusive and comprehensive mechanism. The Charter will cover not only security, but also economic cooperation, humanitarian exchanges and dialogue of civilizations - from Lisbon to Manila.

It provides for specific, verifiable commitments:

• no state may join a military alliance whose membership criteria systematically exclude other Eurasian states;
• no state may host permanent foreign military infrastructure that threatens the core security interests of its neighbours;
• all disputes between participating states shall be subject to mandatory consultations through the institutions of the Charter;
• participants shall not apply unilateral coercive measures against each other.

The negotiation process is planned to begin in September 2026 on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

The European Union and NATO countries are invited to take part in the negotiations.
As for practical steps within the OSCE framework, we highlighted some of them last week during the Annual Security Review Conference.

Speaking at the conference, I stressed that it is necessary to restore communications between responsible policymakers and between diplomats. The only alternative to dialogue is total conflict, and once it breaks out, it will be pointless to sort out the causes.

As one of the urgent measures, Belarus proposed restoring military communication channels. We need to return to transparency mechanisms and to contacts at any acceptable level, including tactical interaction in border areas.

Dear colleagues!

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