Russian President Vladimir Putin asked his government this Tuesday to negotiate the establishment of joint military training centers with Belarus, a neighboring country and ally in the war against Ukraine.
The establishment of these training centers was stipulated in a decree published today, in which Putin instructed defense and foreign ministers to negotiate with Minsk, without providing further details.
Russia’s ally Belarus has served as a rear base for Russian troops since the offensive against Ukraine began on February 24, but the Belarusian army has so far refrained from fighting on Ukrainian territory.
In mid-October, Belarus and Russia announced the creation of a joint force, which Minsk said had a purely “defensive” mission.
The two countries are constantly holding large-scale military exercises, regularly fueling speculation that the Belarusian military could follow Russia and launch an attack on Ukraine.
Source: DN
