Ukraine crisis: Belarus says joint drills with Russia to continue 'due to border tensions'
Belarus has announced that its joint military exercises with Russia, which were due to end on Sunday, will now continue because of the aggravated tensions in neighbouring Ukraine.
It means that Russian troops will remain in Belarus amid heightened tensions with the West, despite Moscow's promise that its forces would leave the country after the drills which began on February 10.
"Given the increase in military activity near the borders... and the aggravation of the situation in the Donbas, the presidents of Belarus and Russia have decided to continue inspecting forces," the Belarusian defence ministry said on its Telegram account.
In the course of this "inspection" of troops — a term designating manoeuvres — the "defence elements" of Belarus and Russia "which have not been considered in sufficient detail during the preceding training, will be examined in depth," the ministry said.
According to Minsk, the aim of the exercises remains "to assure an adequate response and a de-escalation of military preparations led by ill-intentioned people near the borders".
Despite a previous statement announcing a military retreat, Russia is accused of massing 150,000 troops on the Ukrainian border to plan an invasion of the country. Washington has claimed that Moscow is looking for a pretext to do so, and that a spike in violence in the east could provide one.
More details to follow.
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