The leader of Belarus has asked Russia to guarantee its security, in case it’s attacked by the U.S. or NATO powers. Authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko made the comments during a conversation Monday with Russia’s defense minister, who was visiting Minsk.

President Alexander Lukashenko: “In case there is an attack on Belarus, the Russian Federation would defend Belarus like its own territory. These are the kinds of security guarantees we need. Actually, in the 1990s, it was more or less discussed. Now, because of what the West has been doing, it has been forgotten about. What safety guarantees can America provide us? None, apart from provoking aggression towards us. We need full security guarantees from our brothers in Russia.”

Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he planned to deploy so-called tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus.