The Ministry of Defense Belarusse has justified these “impromptu” maneuvers by strengthening the NATO scheme in Poland and the Baltic countries, as well as the situation in Ukraine.
Le Monde with AFP
Military pressure is increasing in eastern Europe. Belarus announced, Tuesday, January 18, the arrival of an indeterminate number of Russian troops for exercises of “combat preparation” in February.
“The future exercises of operational and combat preparation occurs due to the worsening of the politico-military situation in the world, the continued increase in tensions in Europe, particularly at the western and southern borders of Belarus , “said the Belarusian Ministry of Defense.
He added that they were “impromptu” maneuvers, but their magnitude – unspecified – did not necessitate the details, including the neighbors of Belarus, that Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine, at the borders of which Russia has already massaged tens of thousands of troops, aroused in Westerners the fear of an invasion.
Already Russian troops massed in Ukraine
President Belarusse, Alexander Loukachenko, had announced exercises on Monday without specifying dates. The same day, Russian Internet users had broadcast in many videos of integers charged with military equipment, armored and other vehicles, in Western Russia, heading for the border.
The maneuvers in Belarus take place in two stages: the first, by February 9, involves the deployment of Russian and Belarus troops to “threatened areas”, the security of state and military infrastructure, and the protection Airspace. Then, from 10 to 20 February, the maneuvers strictly speaking, baptized “Determination of the Union 2022”, must take place on several military bases in Belarus.
The announcement of these exercises occurs while Russians and Americans must decide on to give their diplomatic efforts, after a series of talks that did not fail to defuse the risk of new conflict in Ukraine.