Russia launches military training with Belarus, escalating tensions in Ukraine.
Ten days of joint military training between Russia and Belarus have begun despite continued worries of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Belarus is Russia’s closest ally and shares a long border with Ukraine. The drills were dubbed a “violent gesture” by France, as they are considered to be Russia’s largest deployment to Belarus since the Cold War. They are “psychological pressure,” according to Ukraine.
On Thursday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that Europe is facing its worst security crisis in decades. Despite massing over 100,000 troops on the border, Russia has repeatedly denied any ambitions to attack Ukraine. The United States and other Western countries, on the other hand, have warned that an assault may occur at any time.
The exercises, dubbed Allied Resolve 2022, are taking place along the Belarusian-Ukrainian border, which is just over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) long. There are concerns that if Russia decides to invade Ukraine, the drills will bring Russian troops closer to Kyiv, making an attack on the city easier.
President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus is a close supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the two countries have formed a “Union State” that involves economic and military cooperation. The Kremlin backed Mr Lukashenko after a disputed election in 2020 that led to riots in Belarus. The US estimates that 30,000 Russian troops will participate in the drills with Belarus, though Moscow and Minsk have not revealed the precise number.
According to the Russian defense ministry, the goal of the war simulations is to practice “repelling external aggression with a defensive operation.” Troops will also conduct drills to secure the border and prevent weapons and ammunition delivery corridors.
The joint drills, according to a Kremlin spokeswoman, are serious since Russia and Belarus are facing “unprecedented dangers.” In addition, Russia is conducting naval exercises in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, both of which are on Ukraine’s southern flank, which Kyiv has described as “an unjustified complication of international shipping” that has made navigation in both seas “virtually impossible.”
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