Minsk: The joint strike force of Russian and Belarusian troops is purely defensive

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Yesterday, Alexander Lukashenko stated that he had agreed with Putin on the deployment of this joint military formation, without saying exactly where it would be deployed and what its scope would be.

Belarus said today that the joint military strike force of Russian and Belarusian troops is purely defensive, as Minsk accused Kyiv of preparing an attack, fueling fears of a direct intervention in the conflict in Ukraine.

“The objectives of the union of regional powers are purely defensive. And all the operations, which are being carried out at the moment, are aimed at adopting an appropriate reaction to the actions taking place near our borders,” explained Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Chrenin, according to a statement from his ministry.

He clarified that this force is expected to ensure the security of the borders of Russia and Belarus.

Yesterday, the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, said that he had agreed with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on the deployment of this joint military formation, without saying exactly where it would be deployed and what its scope would be.

He accused Ukraine and its allies Poland and Lithuania of preparing “terrorist acts” and a military “insurgency” in Belarus by training “radical” Belarusian fighters to overthrow the government.

Minsk denies, however, that it is considering sending its army, which is much smaller than Moscow’s, to fight in Ukraine alongside the Russians.

“In the West, unfortunately, the idea is being cultivated that the Belarusian army can get involved in the special military operation in Ukraine. By giving in to this kind of disinformation, the administration of NATO and many European countries clearly envisions the possibility of an attack against our country,” said today the secretary of the Belarusian Security Council, Alexander Volfovich.

Belarus has already ceded its territory to the Russian military for its offensive against Ukraine, but Minsk has so far not directly participated in the fighting on Ukrainian soil.

The entry of Belarusian forces into the neighboring country would constitute a new escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.

RES-EMP

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