Ukraine crisis: Russia and Belarus to begin military drills amid drive to ease tensions
euronews.comDiplomatic moves to ease tensions over Ukraine are scheduled to intensify on Thursday -- but so too are military manoeuvres on both sides amid the biggest security crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War.
Russia and Belarus have carried out exercises involving paratroopers and air patrols ahead of upcoming joint military drills scheduled to start.
Meanwhile the Pentagon is confirming that US troops are in Poland in preparation for further conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Also on Thursday, foreign policy advisers from Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine will meet in Berlin in the “Normandy format” to see if it's possible to revive peace efforts, Chancellor Scholz's office said.
The UK is ready to deploy an extra 1,000 soldiers in the event of a "humanitarian crisis" linked to the tensions in Ukraine, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday, ahead of a planned visit to see NATO allies in Brussels and Warsaw.
The joint Russian-Belarusian drills, labelled Union Courage-2020, are due to begin on Thursday and last 10 days.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told a briefing on Wednesday the Russian troop buildup was "destabilising and unnecessary".
"We have continued to see even over the last 24 hours additional capabilities flow from elsewhere in Russia to that border with Ukraine and in Belarus," he said, referring to the presence of the Russian defence chief in Belarus.
"The numbers continue to grow. We maintain that he's north of 100,000, for sure, and he continues to add to that capability. We also see indications that additional battalion tactical groups are on their way," Kirby added.
Armoured personnel carriers, mortars, grenade launchers and small arms were used during the paratrooper exercises, the
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