Lukashenko told why Crimea passed to Russia without a fight in 2014

According to Lukashenko, the Ukrainian military reached out to the Russians "not at the highest level."

“They warned the Russians that Crimea will not be Russian unless we take certain actions.

It will not be Ukrainian either.

Whose?

- NATO.

Then NATO was focused on the Crimea, ”he said.

According to him, after a regular meeting with the Russians, the Ukrainian military suggested that the representatives of Russia "tell their president that the issue of Crimea must be resolved."

“According to my information, it was reported to the President of Russia,” Lukashenka said.

He also said that the United States had already designed the barracks in Sevastopol.

According to Lukashenko, the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin is that "in no case should there be NATO troops in Crimea."

Earlier, Lukashenko said that Crimea de facto and de jure became Russian after the 2014 referendum. 

Crimea became a Russian region after a referendum held there in March 2014, in which the majority of the peninsula's residents voted in favor of reunification with Russia.