Military security of Russia, Belarus depends on situation in Ukraine - Shoigu
MOSCOW. Oct 21 (Interfax) - The military security of Russia and Belarus depends on situation in Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said, adding that dialogue between Kyiv and the self-proclaimed Donbas republics was the only way to achieve national reconciliation in Ukraine.
"The military security of Russia and Belarus equally depends on how the situation in this fraternal country will develop," Shoigu said at a joint meeting of the boards of the Russian and Belarusian defense ministries on Wednesday.
"We see direct dialogue between Kyiv and representatives of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as the only possible way of national reconciliation [in Ukraine]," he said.
"Besides, it is important to ensure the complete implementation of the Minsk agreements," Shoigu added.
Russia and Belarus need not just a high level of cooperation between their defense ministries but also harmonized approaches to major global and regional security matters, which will help them successfully bolster the defense potential of the Union State.
"This approach is topical right now, amid the complicated military-political situation, when instability hotbeds have moved close to the borders of our country. Ukraine is an illustrative example," Shoigu said.