Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated his rejection of the increased military presence of NATO at his country's borders, indicating the West's lack of seriousness in addressing Moscow's security demands. In a press conference with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, he stated that the military exercises with Belarus are purely defensive and not aimed at any particular entity. Regarding the crisis with Ukraine, he affirmed that Ukraine is not implementing any of the agreements, noting that carrying out the Minsk agreements is the way to de-escalation.
"We do not seek escalation"
For his part, the President of Belarus stated that his country does not seek escalation or to create crises, emphasizing that this is the first time his country faces a real danger of war outbreak. He added that the situation in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine is deteriorating rapidly, clarifying that military exercises with Russia are taking place within his country's borders. He also indicated that those threatening to impose sanctions, referring to the United States and the West, will suffer heavy losses.
"Hybrid War"
He stated that Minsk will confront with Moscow the "hybrid war" being waged by the West, expressing, "We do not wish for war, but we are ready for confrontation and response." Putin welcomed his Belarusian counterpart on Friday afternoon, during military maneuvers that are taking place on Belarusian territory. Tomorrow, the Russian president will oversee "strategic forces" exercises that involve the launching of ballistic and cruise missiles.
Military Exercises
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Putin will monitor the drills from the operations room of the Ministry of Defense and will personally supervise the missile launch exercises. The ministry clarified that these maneuvers had been planned for some time to assess the readiness of the Russian military leadership and personnel, as well as to verify the reliability of its nuclear and conventional weapons. The Russian war games come after U.S. President Joe Biden warned on Thursday that Russia could invade Ukraine within days.
Russian Troops
Western concerns stem from Russia's mobilization of approximately 150,000 troops, including around 60% of its total ground forces, near the Ukrainian border. In contrast, the Kremlin insists there are no plans to invade Ukraine. However, Moscow has demanded that the U.S. and its allies keep Ukraine and other former Soviet republics out of NATO, refrain from deploying weapons in Ukraine, and withdraw NATO forces from Eastern Europe.
