Russia announced on Tuesday that it would send troops to southern Belarus, after 100,000 soldiers were already stationed near the Russian-Ukrainian border, a move that further exacerbated tensions between the Kremlin and the West. It is reported that Russia will send an unknown number of troops from the Far East to Belarus to participate in large-scale military exercises. At a time when the West is worried about Russia's planned invasion of Ukraine, Russia's deployment will further strengthen Russia's military presence near Ukraine.
Amid heightened tensions, the White House warned that Russia could attack its neighbors "at any time", and Britain has shipped a consignment of anti-tank weapons to Ukraine. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said the joint exercise with Belarus would include exercises to jointly deal with external threats. And Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia could launch an attack on Ukraine from several directions, including its ally Belarus. The United States re-emphasized its concerns Tuesday. White House press secretary Psaki said the entry of Russian troops into Belarus was part of an "extremely dangerous situation." "We are now at a stage where Russia could launch an attack on Ukraine at any time," she said. ”
A series of talks between Russia, the United States and NATO last week failed to calm tensions in Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Blinken will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva on Friday to once again try to defuse the crisis. On Wednesday, Russia's deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, reiterated that Moscow had no intention of invading Ukraine, as feared by the West, but warned that Moscow would only accept "tight" assurances from the United States that NATO would not expand into Ukraine, and that Ryabkov led a Russian delegation to security talks in Geneva last week. On Wednesday, when asked whether Russia would accept nato's idea of suspending eastward expansion, Ryabkov flatly rejected. Moscow has seen the West renege on previous commitments, he said.
Blinken visited Ukraine on Wednesday to assure the country of what he called "relentless" Russian aggression and that the West would give it its support. Ukraine's defense ministry said Tuesday it had received a batch of anti-tank weapons from Britain, noting that the weapons would help "strengthen our defenses."
Russia has begun to mobilize troops for military exercises in Belarus. Russia's deputy defense minister, Fomin, said the Allied Resolve 2022 exercise would be fully deployed with weapons and personnel by Feb. 9, which is expected to take place from Feb. 10 to Feb. 20.
Fomin did not say how many troops would be involved, but mentioned that Russia would deploy 12 Su-35 fighter jets and several air defense units to Belarus. The deployment will provide tanks and other heavy weapons for some 100,000 Russian troops, which have been massed near Ukraine. Russia has denied any intention of attacking its neighbors, but has asked the West to guarantee that NATO will not expand to Ukraine or other former Soviet states, nor will it deploy troops and weapons there. Washington and its allies staunchly rejected Moscow's demands during the U.S.-Russia talks.
Fomin said the exercises in Belarus reflect the need to concentrate Russia's full military potential in the West, while the number of troops sent by Russia's Eastern Military District is unknown. Fomin said in a meeting with foreign military attaches, "There may be a situation where regional armed forces and means are not sufficient to ensure the reliable security of the federal state, we must be prepared to strengthen this, we have reached a consensus with Belarus that it is necessary to use the full military potential for joint defense." ”
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said the joint exercises would be conducted on Belarus's western border and in the southern part of the country in the areas bordering Ukraine. A senior Biden administration official said Russia's deployment of troops to Belarus raised concerns that Moscow might plan to deploy troops there to launch an offensive from the north. The official requested anonymity as a result of the discussion of sensitive issues. He noted that the action may also demonstrate Belarus's willingness to "allow Russia's conventional and nuclear forces to be stationed on its territory at the same time."
Amid tensions, Ukraine's defense ministry said on Tuesday it was speeding up the pace of forming a reserve force in order to rapidly deploy 130,000 new recruits and expand the country's 246,000 powerful troops. The United States and its allies have urged Russia to withdraw its troops assembled near Ukraine to de-escalate the situation. German Foreign Minister Berberk told reporters after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday that "in recent weeks, more than 100,000 Russian troops armed with tanks and guns have assembled near Ukraine for no comprehensible reason, and it is hard not to see this as a threat." ”
In his response, Lavrov reiterated Moscow's claim that Russia is free to deploy its troops wherever it deems necessary on its territory. Lavrov said, "We cannot accept the request to deploy troops on our own territory. We didn't threaten anyone, but we heard threats against us. ”