Lukašenka plans to meet with Putin soon to discuss the terms of Russian troops withdrawal from Belarus

February 14, BPN. Aliaksandr Lukašenka intends to meet with Vladimir Putin soon to discuss the terms of the withdrawal of Russian troops involved in the exercises Union Resolve 2022. Lukašenka announced the talks with the Russian President on February 14 in Minsk at a meeting with Olekandr Moroz, the former Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (he held office in 1994-1998 and 2006-2007).

“This is nonsense about the fact that Lukašenka is ready to attack Ukraine,” Lukašenka’s press service quotes him as saying. “Look, I never needed it, and I don’t need it now. But it is impossible to analyze what your authorities are doing against Belarus. It is beyond comprehension.”

“Today they are shouting: ‘When are you going to withdraw your troops?’ Look, this is our business with Putin. We will meet soon and decide on the timeframe and schedule for the withdrawal of the armed forces of the Russian Federation. This is our business,” he added.

According to Lukašenka, the US is “transferring thousands” of troops to the Belarusian border, “directly to Poland and the Baltic States.” The UK and EU countries are also “transferring armed forces.” However, the West “does not give us any answer to the question as to when additional NATO forces will be withdrawn from the region, instead they just put pressure on us.”

“We will withdraw [Russian troops from Belarus] when we decide with the President of Russia to do this and when the exercises are over here. We will be the ones to make the decision, it’s our territory,” Lukašenka stressed.

The immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Belarus after the completion of the military exercises Union Resolve 2022 is an important factor of security in the region. This opinion was expressed by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda during phone talks with the President of the European Council Charles Michel and heads of several European states on February 13.

Over the past few weeks, the situation in the region has been extremely tense due to Kyiv’s and Western countries’ fears that Russia would attack Ukraine. US and German media, citing US intelligence and military sources, reported that the invasion could begin on February 15 or 16.