Lukashenko announces maneuvers with Russia - "Plan in case of a confrontation with the West"

Created: 01/17/2022, 16:13

By: Bedrettin Bölükbasi

Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko want to conduct another joint military maneuver.

© Sergei Karpukhin/Pool/picture alliance/dpa

Russia and Belarus plan to resume military maneuvers amid high tensions with the West.

A plan should be developed in case of a confrontation.

Munich - The West's relations with both Russia and Belarus have been extremely strained in recent months.

The conflict has been smoldering ever since the annexation of Crimea and the conflict over eastern Ukraine in 2014.

The issue of Ukraine is now again putting a heavy strain on relations.

But there are also crunches in other places: When thousands of refugees appeared on the eastern EU external border between Poland and Belarus, the EU accused the authoritarian Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko of using them deliberately as a "weapon".

Russian President Vladimir Putin rushed to help with military exercises, among other things, and sent a signal to the West.

Now the two countries will apparently carry out military maneuvers again.

Lukashenko announces joint maneuvers with Putin - exercise against "confrontation with the West"

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has now announced new Belarusian-Russian military maneuvers for February.

As Lukashenko announced, the agreement on joint military exercises had already been reached with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the "difficult situation" in December.

It was initially unclear how many soldiers would take part.

Lukashenko, who is usually very clear about his rhetoric against the West, also clearly stated the aim of the maneuvers.

According to him, the exercises are aimed at "developing a precise plan in the event of a confrontation with Western forces".

The maneuvers are under the motto "Union Resolve 2022," said the Belarusian ruler in the online service Telegram.

Russia-Belarus: Military exercise due to NATO presence - "must take action against challenges"

Lukashenko justified the joint maneuvers with the strengthening of NATO's military presence in Poland and the Baltic States.

Warsaw has applied to NATO for logistical and technical support.

In addition, Lukashenko accused the Ukrainian leadership of strengthening its units on the border with Belarus.

"Please pick an exact date for the drills and let us know so we can't be criticized for accumulating troops out of thin air as if we were going to war," state news agency BelTA quoted the Belarusian ruler as saying his Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin.

In addition, the Belarusian chief of staff Viktor Gulevich described the NATO presence in neighboring countries as a "great threat to Belarus' military security".

More than 10,000 soldiers and 300 tanks are stationed on the border with Belarus, Gulevich claimed.

Another reinforcement of 23,000 troops had arrived as part of the refugee crisis.

"Our country must take action against this challenge," said the chief of staff.