Belarusian president says the two allies will deploy a military task force, without specifying the location.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said Belarus and Russia will deploy a joint military task force in response to what he called an aggravation of tension on the country’s western borders, according to the state-run Belta news agency.
Lukashenko said on Monday the two countries had started pulling forces together two days ago, apparently after the explosion on a bridge linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.
“I’ve said already that today Ukraine is not just discussing but planning strikes on the territory of Belarus,” state news agency Belta quoted Lukashenko as saying during a meeting with security officials. He did not provide any evidence for the claim.
“We have agreed to deploy a regional grouping of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus,” he added.
Lukashenko did not specify where the troops would be deployed.
The president said Belarus “must have plans in advance to counter all kinds of scoundrels who are trying to drag us into a fight”.
“There should be no war on the territory of Belarus,” he added.
Belarus relies financially and politically on its key ally Russia.
Russian forces used Belarus as a staging post for their February 24 invasion of Ukraine, sending troops and equipment into northern Ukraine from bases in Belarus.
