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BelTA cited Lukashenko as making the remarks to Russian Defence
Minister Sergei Shoigu during a meeting in the Belarusian
capital Minsk.
Lukashenko was cited as saying that he had previously discussed
the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin who he said had
agreed with him that such security guarantees were necessary and
needed to be formalised.
"In general, it sounded at the talks (with Putin) that in the
case of aggression against Belarus, the Russian Federation would
protect Belarus as its own territory. These are the kind of
security (guarantees) we need," Lukashenko was quoted as saying.
Belarus, which currently hosts a contingent of Russian forces,
has offered assistance to Moscow during its military campaign in
Ukraine which Russia calls "a special military operation."
In the war's earliest days, Minsk allowed Moscow to use its
territory to launch an ultimately unsuccessful assault on the
Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
Since late last year, a flurry of military drills and visits
from high-level Russian officials have sparked speculation that
Belarus may formally join a new attack on Ukraine.
Lukashenko has consistently denied such intentions, but has said
that Belarus will respond to any incursions onto its territory
or attempts to foment unrest.
(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Andrew Osborn)
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