Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko issued a warning on Monday against Ukraine and announced a joint military task force with Russia to deploy troops to the western border of the latter near Ukraine.
The official had agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin to the deployment of the troops, which includes forces from the two leaders' nations. Lukashenko also said that the task force would include more than 1,000 troops and has already begun forming.
Belarus Deploys Troops
The Belarusian president added that thousands more Russian military troops could soon be deployed within Belarus. Lukashenko noted that the task force would not only be a thousand troops.
Previously, Russia deployed tens of thousands of soldiers to Belarus as a staging ground for its initial invasion of Ukraine in February, leaving hundreds in the area who launched missiles and air raids.
The recent announcement comes after Russia launched a massive strike against Ukrainian cities in retaliation for an explosion on a key bridge connecting the Russian mainland to the Crimean Peninsula. Putin called the latter an act of terrorism and blamed Ukraine for the devastation, as per The Hill.
The Russian airstrikes killed at least five Ukrainian civilians in the capital of Kyiv and more than a dozen in the southeastern city of Zaporizhia. The attacks drew international criticism and condemnation across the Western world and renewed accusations of war crimes.
Lukashenko, during a recent security council meeting, added that he was "warned through unofficial channels about strikes on Belarus" from Ukraine. However, the official did not provide evidence to support his claims.
According to Yahoo Finance, the Belarusian president's remarks indicate a potential further escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war. It could include a potentially combined Russia-Belarus coalition in the north of Ukraine.
Supporting Russia, Warning Ukraine
During a meeting on security, Lukashenko said that strikes on the territory of Belarus are not just being discussed in Ukraine but were already being planned. He noted that their owners are pushing them to start a war against Belarus to drag them into the conflict.
Lukashenko noted that Belarus has been preparing for this moment for decades, saying that if needed, the country would respond. He added that he has already talked to Putin about the situation while in a meeting in St. Petersburg.
The Belarusian president warned that if Ukraine or the countries that support it touch one meter of his territory, the attack on the Kerch Bridge will seem like a "walk in the park." The warning comes as the Belarusian army employs roughly 60,000 troops with six battalion-tactical groups being deployed earlier this year. The head of Belarus' border guards also accused Ukraine on Sunday of provocations at the border.
Lukashenko said that Belarus must have plans in place well in advance so that it could counter all kinds of scoundrels who are trying to drag the country into a fight. The official's support of Putin comes as the country relies financially and politically on Russia, which is considered its key ally compared to other countries, Aljazeera reported.
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