The primary Russian troopers to participate in a brand new joint power with Belarusian troops have arrived in Belarus, Minsk’s defence ministry stated on Saturday.
“The primary convoys of Russian servicemen from the regional power group have arrived in Belarus,” the ministry stated, including that their mission was “completely to strengthen the safety and defence of the border”.
Photos from the ministry confirmed troopers welcomed by ladies carrying conventional costumes and handing out bread and salt.
Final Monday the chief of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko claimed Ukraine was plotting to assault his nation and introduced a joint power with Moscow.
Lukashenko accused Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine of coaching Belarusian radicals “to hold out sabotage, terrorist assaults and to organise a navy mutiny within the nation”.
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The deployment raised fears that Belarusian troops might be part of Russian forces of their offensive in Ukraine.
Minsk stated Tuesday that the contingent was “purely defensive”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of “attempting to straight draw Belarus into this warfare” at a G7 assembly on Tuesday.
Zelensky referred to as for a global observers mission to be positioned on the Ukraine-Belarus border.
Lukashenko is an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and allowed Belarusian territory for use by Moscow’s troops to launch a navy operation in opposition to Kyiv in February.
However Belarusian armed forces have thus far not taken half within the offensive.
Belarus depends financially and politically on its key ally Russia.