Belarusian President Lukashenko expected to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin soon: Report

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Monday, February 14, announced that he will be meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the near future, the Telegram channel, Pul Pervogo, reported an update on Monday. The authoritarian Belarusian leader’s announcement comes as Russia and Belarus kick-started the joint war drills, in what NATO labelled the display of the biggest troop deployment to Belarus since the Cold War.

The two longtime allies launched 10 days of military drills viewed as a belligerent and aggressive posture towards Ukraine, and groundwork for an invasion as Kyiv is now surrounded by Russian troops on three sides. 

Belarus Russia military drills 'threat to Europe': NATO

NATO had, earlier yesterday, described Russia and Belarus’ so-called "Allied Resolve drills 2022" as a hanging threat to European security. Russia’s defense ministry meanwhile explained that the joint exercise is “planned to work out the tasks of suppressing and repelling external aggression during a defensive operation, as well as countering terrorism and protecting the interests of the Union State.”

Washington rebuked Russia for blanketing soldiers across western and southwestern regions along the border with Ukraine. US General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, rang his Belarusian counterpart, Maj. Gen. Viktor Gulevich, the Pentagon informed to take account of the security situation. 

"The phone call facilitated communication between both leaders to reduce chances of miscalculation and gain perspectives on current European security,” the Pentagon said.

(These satellite images provided by Maxar Technologies shows multiple rocket launcher deployments near Yelsk, Belarus. Russia has moved troops from Siberia and the Far East to Belarus for sweeping joint drills; Image: AP)

(Members of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces, volunteer military units of the Armed Forces, train close to Kyiv; Image: AP)

Belarusian soldiers meanwhile joined Russian forces and conducted drills on borders with Poland and Ukraine, prompting security fears across Europe. Moscow Carnegie Center researcher Artem Schreibman reported from the ground that there had "never been such a large number of Russian military personnel on Belarusian soil in the entire post-Soviet period,” as he gave updates online.

The Belarusian Army has been involved in a long-standing border conflict with Poland over the migrant crisis. Flexing the military muscle against West, Russia's Su-35S fighter jets and Belarusian Su-30SM fighter jets rehearsed intercepting intruder aircraft. Russian fighter pilots exercised numerous components in the air including intercepting an intruder aircraft and executing an aerial battle, TASS reported.