Russian defense minister in Belarus ahead of joint drills
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in Belarus on Thursday to inspect Russian and Belarusian troops’ preparations for joint drills this month, the Interfax news agency reported, amid a tense standoff with the West over neighboring Ukraine.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Shoigu will also meet Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Interfax quoted the ministry as saying.
Moscow’s military moves are being closely watched by the West at a time when a build-up of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine has sparked fears of an invasion.
Russia has moved an undisclosed number of troops and military hardware to Belarus, which also borders Ukraine, for the Feb. 10-20 joint drills, saying it will withdraw them afterwards.
Moscow has denied it plans to launch an attack on Ukraine, while also demanding guarantees from the United States and NATO that Kyiv would not be allowed to join the military alliance.
Read more:
Pull back from Ukraine if you’re not going to invade, Blinken tells Russia
Explainer: What are NATO’s next steps if Russia invades Ukraine?
Also Read
-
Pull back from Ukraine if you’re not going to invade, Blinken tells Russia
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a call on Tuesday that now would be the time to pull back Russian ... World News -
Explainer: What are NATO’s next steps if Russia invades Ukraine?
NATO allies are putting forces on standby and sending reinforcements to eastern Europe in response to Russia’s buildup of more than 100,000 troops on ... Features -
US responds to Russia’s security demands in Ukraine crisis
The US delivered its response to Russia’s security demands, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, the latest step in the high-stakes diplomacy over ... World News
