In its statement on Monday, Belarus said that the withdrawal of Russian troops from its territory will depend to a large extent on NATO pulling back its forces from near Belarus.
The Russian military has sent what NATO called its largest troops to Belarus since the Cold War ended for a round of joint exercises that started on February 10 as part of a wider buildup near Ukraine that has raised fears of war.
Drills that are taking place in the north of Ukraine were supposed to end Sunday, but Minsk extended them instead, citing an increased military activity around Belarus and Russia.
“The Russian Armed Forces’ units will return to their permanent bases only when an objective need for that arises and when we decide. In no small measure this will also depend on our Western counterparts. The forces and equipment deployed in the eastern European region, including near Belarus are one of the factors that influence the development of the situation,” Army chief Belarusian Army Viktor Gulevich said.
He added that Minsk believed that it was within its rights to demand the withdrawal of US and NATO member forces from near the Belarusian border.
