Why is Belarus amassing troops along its border with Ukraine?

EXPLAINER

Ukraine has called connected Belarus to propulsion backmost its forces from borderline amid caller determination tensions aft Kursk incursion successful Russia.

Ukraine has asked Belarus to propulsion backmost forces that it has sent to their borderline amid rising subject tensions betwixt the neighbours pursuing the Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.

The latest informing from Ukraine follows 2 weeks of sharpening rhetoric, accusations and countercharges levelled by Kyiv and Minsk astatine each other. This, astatine a clip erstwhile Russia — which counts Belarus arsenic its astir steadfast state — has threatened a steadfast effect to Ukraine’s Kursk offensive.

So what is truly going connected betwixt Ukraine and Belarus, and could their borderline look arsenic the latest theatre for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war?

What has Ukraine said astir Belarusian troops connected the border?

Late connected Sunday, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged Belarus to retreat a build-up of its troops from their borderline and to “stop unfriendly actions”.

It cited quality to impeach Belarus of “concentrating a important fig of personnel, including Special Operations Forces, weapons and subject equipment” successful the Gomel portion adjacent Ukraine’s bluish borderline “under the guise of exercises”.

“We pass Belarusian officials not to marque tragic mistakes for their state nether Moscow’s pressure, and we impulse its equipped forces to cease unfriendly actions and retreat forces distant from Ukraine’s authorities borderline to a region greater than the firing scope of Belarus’ systems,” the Foreign Ministry said successful its statement.

Ukraine said Belarusian troops, arsenic good arsenic mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group, had lined up adjacent the border. The 2 countries stock a 1,084km (674-mile) agelong border.

“We pass that successful lawsuit of a usurpation of Ukraine’s authorities borderline by Belarus, our authorities volition instrumentality each indispensable measures to workout the close to self-defence guaranteed by the UN Charter,” the Foreign Ministry said. “Consequently, each unit concentrations, subject facilities, and proviso routes successful Belarus volition go morganatic targets for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”

It besides pointed retired that the portion wherever Belarusian troops had gathered was adjacent to the disaster-hit Chornobyl atomic powerfulness plant, and said immoderate subject exercises conducted determination posed a “threat to the nationalist information of Ukraine”.

What has Belarus said astir the build-up astatine the Ukraine border?

Last week, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced that the state had moved astir a 3rd of its forces to the borderline with Ukraine.

But Lukashenko blamed Ukraine for the crisp escalation successful tensions.

He accused Ukraine of assertive policies and of sending much than 120,000 soldiers to its borderline with Belarus connected August 18. The adjacent day, Belarus announced that it sent aircraft, aerial defence forces and armoury to the Ukraine border.

Belarus has accused Ukraine of violating its airspace during its onslaught connected Russia’s Kursk region connected August 6. Minsk archetypal declared the question of soldiers towards the borderline with Ukraine arsenic an enactment of self-defence connected August 10.

Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin said Belarus was “ready for retaliatory action” if Ukrainian soldiers entered its territory.

But Ukraine has rejected the Belarusian allegations. It denied Lukashenko’s assertion that Kyiv had sent 120,000 soldiers to the border. On Sunday, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said it “has ne'er taken and is not going to instrumentality immoderate unfriendly actions against the Belarusian people”.

(Al Jazeera)

What is Belarus’s presumption connected the Russia-Ukraine war?

Belarus has maintained adjacent governmental and economical relations with Russia since its independency from the Soviet Union successful 1991.

Lukashenko is simply a firm ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his state has stood by Russia implicit the people of its warfare with Ukraine. In March 2022, soon aft Russia launched its full-fledged penetration of Ukraine, Belarus evacuated its embassy successful Kyiv arsenic a amusement of enactment for Moscow.

Belarus has besides allowed Russia to presumption its troops connected its territory, which allows Moscow to usage its ally’s land as a launchpad to onslaught Ukraine from the north. Ukraine’s Western allies, particularly the United States, person imposed a slew of penalties connected Belarus implicit its enactment for Russia’s warfare — including fiscal sanctions, export controls, airspace restrictions and visa restrictions connected officials.

Yet, until now, Belarus has steered wide of really engaging successful subject struggle with Ukraine — and the existent unit build-up on their borderline raises the spectre of that changing.