Lukashenko announces troop reduction at Ukraine border
In just a few weeks, Belarus has amassed troops at its border with Ukraine. Minsk justifies the move with alleged provocations from Kiev. Now, Lukashenko seems to be signaling de-escalation.
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has signaled de-escalation at the border with Ukraine. During a visit to the border area, he reportedly mentioned the withdrawal of Ukrainian units from the region, according to the Belarusian state agency Belta. "Now we have no complications with the Ukrainians, and I hope there won't be any," Lukashenko was quoted as saying by Belta. At the same time, Lukashenko announced the withdrawal of units that had been deployed to the Ukrainian-Belarusian border in recent weeks.
Due to alleged troop buildups and provocations on the Ukrainian side of the shared border, Lukashenko had reinforced border forces. A spokesperson for the Belarusian border troops announced at the end of June that multiple rocket launchers with a range of 300 kilometers had been positioned. In addition, Minsk accused Ukraine of conducting regular reconnaissance flights with drones in the border area. However, from Kiev it was reported that Ukrainian forces had only fortified their defensive positions along the border.
Belarus is Russia's closest ally. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko is economically, financially, politically, and militarily dependent on the Kremlin. Although Minsk does not officially participate in Russia's offensive war against Ukraine, Russian troops used Belarusian territory for their advance on Ukraine at the start of the war. Currently, Chinese soldiers are in Belarus for a joint military exercise. The maneuvers are expected to last until July 19. The exact number of participating Chinese soldiers is not known.
Alexander Lukashenko, the leader of Belarus, has announced the withdrawal of Belarusian units that had been deployed to the Ukrainian-Belarusian border recently, following alleged provocations from Ukraine. Despite the de-escalation signaled by Lukashenko, relations between Belarus and Ukraine remain complex due to political tensions.
