Russian troops are expected to arrive in Belarus “in the next few days” to form a regional military group. The former Soviet republic’s defense ministry said Friday that tensions with neighboring Ukraine have escalated.
In the coming days, Russian troops forming a regional military group will begin arriving at the border of Belarus,” Viktor Tumar, a representative of the General Staff of the Belarusian Army, announced in a statement.
Russian soldiers will participate in military training activities aimed at “raising the level of effectiveness of tasks in defense of the Russia-Belarus State Union.”
A statement by Belarusian officials asserts that in recent years, NATO member states have increased their combat capabilities along the borders with Belarus, adding that Poland and the Baltic states are at risk of reconstitution.
“These facts confirm the increase of threats in the field of military security in Belarus and the State Union, which requires taking urgent measures”, the statement justifies, emphasizing. The purpose of the Russian-Belarusian partnership is to ensure security and peacekeeping parity and to reduce military operations on the borders.
“The Union Territorial Military Group is strictly a self-defense plan,” assured Tumar.
Last week, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced his agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to form this partnership.
“Considering the dire situation on the western borders of the Union State, we have agreed to deploy a regional (military) group of the two countries,” argued the Belarusian leader.
Lukashenko did not specify the number of troops that would make up the group, although this Friday he explained that Minsk did not need to send “10,000-15,000 troops” to Moscow, arguing that Russia “has enough problems already”.
This Friday, Lukashenko again came to the Kremlin’s defense, saying Russia has nuclear weapons for one reason: to avoid distraction by the West.
“If they surround someone or a country, there’s only one option: move on,” Lukashenko said Moscow’s use of nuclear weapons would be legitimate if Russia were threatened by the West.
However, the Belarusian leader admitted that it would always be a last resort, admitting that the use of nuclear weapons would “be the end of our planet”.
“If a country uses nuclear weapons, it will cause a chain reaction. “Russia knows it very well,” concludes Lukashenko.