MOSCOW (BNS):In retaliation to the US missile shield, Russia and Belarus are teaming up to set up a common air defence system. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko agreed on the common shield proposal on Tuesday and an agreement to this effect should be signed in early autumn. The US has stationed its missile shield in Poland and Czech Republic.

Experts see various reasons in the changed attitude of Minsk. On the other hand, they note that the latest events have shown that Moscow is determined to play an important role in the post-Soviet era, and in doing so it will not take into account the opinion of the "international community".
Expressing his opinion on Moscow�s intervention in Georgia, Lukashenko said, "Everything was done excellently, very calmly, wisely and neatly. In a situation like this the West would act in a way that would cause the whole world to shudder."
Itar Tass quotes daily Vremya Novostei about President Lukashenko�s action as, "This belated approval of Russia's actions by the Belarusian president looked so clumsy and out of place, that Dmitry Medvedev could not but at least feel regret all this happened in front of the cameras."