[이데일리 장영은 기자] The Belarusian Defense Ministry announced on the 20th (local time) that it had decided to extend the joint exercise with Russia, which had been scheduled to end. Tensions are rising as news spread that new troops were deployed near the border with Ukraine.
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Tensions are rising as satellite imagery confirms that a new military unit has been deployed near the border with Ukraine following the Belarusian defense ministry’s announcement on the same day that it would extend military exercises in Russia, which had been scheduled to end, Reuters reported.
Belarusian Defense Minister Victor Hrenin explained the tentative results of the joint drill between the two countries on the same day, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko had decided to extend the exercise.
He explained, “As the (West) military activity increases near the borders of the Allied Powers and the situation in the Donbas (East Ukraine) region worsens, the Presidents of Russia and Belarus have decided to continue the joint response inspection drill.” In the Donbas region, where pro-Russian rebels and government forces continue to clash, frequent armed clashes have occurred recently.
The decision to extend the joint exercise is contrary to the announcement made by the French side. Earlier, the French presidential office said that Putin had informed French President Emmanuel Macron of his intention to withdraw from Belarus as soon as the ongoing military exercises were over.
The Russian military has been conducting joint exercises since the 10th at Brest and Domanovo in southwestern Belarus, which borders Ukraine, and at the Goshsky Training Grounds near the Polish-Lithuanian border. NATO estimates that at least 30,000 Russian troops are stationed in Belarus. The Belarusian side did not disclose an extension period for the training.
The United States, which sees an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine, is also on alert. U.S. President Joe Biden held a National Security Council (NSC) meeting on the Ukraine crisis on the same day, canceled plans to rest in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, and is reportedly continuing discussions at the White House.
The White House said President Biden discussed recent developments in Russia’s military build-up on the Ukrainian border during an NSC meeting. US intelligence officials know that Putin has already ordered an invasion of Ukraine.
Bloomberg reported that the US had informed its allies that if Russia invaded, it could target a number of cities in addition to the capital, Kiev, in northeastern Kharkiv and the southern port city of Odessa.
U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blincoln appeared on CNN on the same day, saying, “Everything that leads to actual aggression seems to be happening.” raised his voice.
