RUSSIA SAYS BELARUS MAY ENTER UKRAINE CONFLICT IF ‘INVADED’

Fri 13 January 2023:

A Russian foreign ministry official has said Belarus may enter the conflict in Ukraine if Kyiv decides to “invade” either country.

In an interview with state media, Aleksey Polishchuk said Russia’s joint drills with Belarus were designed to prevent escalation, but warned that Belarus may join the Ukraine conflict if it or Russia were invaded.

“From a legal point of view, the use of military force by the Kyiv regime or the invasion of the territory of Belarus or Russia by the armed forces of Ukraine are sufficient grounds for a collective response,” Polishchuk told TASS news agency.

Belarus military drills designed to deter ‘escalation’: Russia

A Russian foreign ministry official says joint military drills between Russia and its close ally Belarus were designed to deter “potential opponents from escalation and provocations”.

Russia used Belarus as a springboard to invade Ukraine in February 2022, and the October deployment of a joint troop group to Belarus raised fears in Kyiv that Russia could be preparing to launch a new offensive from its northern neighbour this year.

Ukraine redeploys troops at border with Belarus

Kiev has transferred part of its troops to the country’s north, redeploying them at the border with Belarus over fears that Russia would try to attack Ukraine from the Belarusian direction, Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Vadym Prystaiko said on Thursday.

In November 2022, the Belarusian State Border Committee said that Ukrainian military continued to mine the territories adjacent to the Belarusian border.

“We have to keep our forces on north of Ukraine, withdrawing them from the front lines, just to be sure that they (Russian troops) are not coming and not trying to cut this line, which allows us to be connected to West,” Prystaiko told British broadcaster Sky news, when asked whether Kiev was concerned about the situation on the border with Belarus.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in December 2022 that Russia and Belarus, being closest allies, had been deploying troops in full accordance with the Union State’s military doctrine, which has strictly defensive objectives.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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