‘Purely defensive’: Belarus justifies troops deployment alongside Russian forces

Justifying sending a contingent of Belarusian troops alongside the Russian forces towards its border, defence minister Viktor Khrenin said that the move was “purely defensive” as they wanted to secure their borders.

The clarification came days after Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that both countries have deployed their forces together, but didn’t reveal where they are being sent to.

The president’s announcement had coincided with the explosion of the Kerch bridge, which connects Crimea to Russia, prompting fears that Belarusian troops could join Russian forces to capture east Ukraine.

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According to AFP news agency, Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin released a statement on Tuesday attempting to justify the president’s actions.

"We emphasise once again that the tasks of the Regional Grouping of Forces are purely defensive. And all activities carried out at the moment are aimed at providing a sufficient response to actions near our borders," Khrenin said.

The deployment has raised fears that Belarusian troops could join Russian forces in their struggling mission to capture and hold territory in east Ukraine.

Belarus' Security Council Alexander Volfovich on Tuesday said that the concerns raised were unwarranted and speculated that the West might be considering attacking Belarus on that pretext.

"In the West, unfortunately, the opinion is being implanted that the Belarusian army may enter into a special military operation on the territory of Ukraine," he was cited as saying by the defence ministry.

"European countries are already openly considering possible options for aggression against our country. In the highest echelons of power in Ukraine, the possibility of striking at Belarus is also being discussed," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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