Belarusian president vows war if Russia, Belarus attacked
By Caroline Vakil - 01/28/22 06:54 PM EST
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday vowed that war would result if either his country or Russia were attacked, while noting that Belarus did not want to engage in conflict.
Lukashenko, an ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin, made those comments to officials and lawmakers in a speech amid escalating tensions between Russia and the west, Reuters reported.
Russian troops and equipment have already started to arrive in Belarus as the two are scheduled to participate in military exercises together between February 10 and February 20.
More than 100,000 Russian troops have already been amassed at the Ukrainian border, and the joint exercises taking place next month in Belarus, a country that borders Ukraine to the north, only amplify the military presence near the former Soviet republic.
The international community remains concerned that Russia is readying itself for an invasion into Ukraine, though Russia denies such intent.
President Biden on Friday said he anticipated moving U.S. troops to eastern Europe “in the near term," adding "not too many."
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https://thehill.com/policy/international/591905-belarusian-president-vows-war-if-russia-belarus-is-attacked
