Tensions rise as Russia begins joint military drills with Belarus

MINSK • Russia and Belarus yesterday began their largest joint military exercises in years, watched closely by Europe and the United States amid rising tension over neighbouring Ukraine.

Thousands of troops backed by tanks, fighter aircraft and advanced S-400 missile defence systems are engaging in the "Allied Resolve 2022" drills in Belarus until Feb 20. They include manoeuvres near the Ukraine border as well as close to Poland and Lithuania, both Nato members.

Moscow has repeatedly denied it plans an attack on Ukraine after the US and its Nato allies warned that a build-up of close to 130,000 Russian troops near the Ukrainian border may be preparation for an invasion as soon as this month, including via Belarus from the north.

The Kremlin accuses the West of trying to undermine Russia's security by drawing Ukraine closer to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato). The tensions have prompted a flurry of meetings among Nato allies and boosted efforts to revive the Minsk peace accords for Ukraine.

In response to Russian drills in Belarus, Ukraine began previously announced military exercises.

Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov this week said Ukrainian training would run until Feb 20 and the armed forces would hold drills with Bayraktar drones and anti-tank Javelin and NLAW missiles provided by foreign partners.

He did not mention the number of military personnel and weapons involved. In a new point of friction, Ukraine also criticised Russian naval exercises that it said made navigation in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov "virtually impossible".

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his British counterpart Liz Truss had a testy exchange over the Ukraine stand-off at their joint press conference yesterday after talks.

Mr Lavrov accused Ms Truss of coming to the meeting "unprepared" and restating Britain's public positions rather than engaging in serious discussion.

"I'm honestly disappointed that what we have is a conversation between a dumb and a deaf person. It's as if we listen but don't hear anything," he said. "They say Russia is waiting until the ground freezes like a stone so its tanks can easily cross into Ukrainian territory. I think the ground was like that today with our British colleagues, from which numerous facts that we produced bounced off."

Ms Truss had challenged Mr Lavrov directly over his assertion that Russia is not threatening anyone with its build-up of troops and weaponry near Ukraine's borders.

"I can't see any other reason for having 100,000 troops stationed on the border, apart from to threaten Ukraine," she said.

"Lavrov has said to me today that Russia has no plans to invade Ukraine but we need to see those words followed up by actions.

"We need to see the troops and the equipment stationed on the Ukrainian border moved elsewhere because at present, it is in a very threatening posture."

Tensions have remained high but leaders on all sides signalled that they hoped diplomacy could prevail in what British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Europe's biggest security crisis for decades.

In a new round of diplomacy, Mr Johnson visited Nato headquarters in Brussels yesterday, while officials from Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France were due to meet in Berlin to discuss fighting between government forces and pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine since 2014.

"I honestly don't think a decision has yet been taken (by Moscow on an attack). But that doesn't mean that it is impossible that something absolutely disastrous could happen very soon indeed," Mr Johnson said at a news conference with Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels.

"This is probably the most dangerous moment, I would say, in the course of the next few days, in what is the biggest security crisis that Europe has faced for decades and we've got to get it right."

Mr Stoltenberg said it was a dangerous moment for European security, adding: "The number of Russian forces is going up. The warning time for a possible attack is going down."

US President Joe Biden is planning to hold a call with the leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Canada, the European Union and Nato today to discuss Russia's troop build-up near Ukraine, according to many people familiar with the matter.

The so-called Quint group - US, Germany, France, Italy and Britain - has convened numerous times in recent weeks at different levels, to coordinate talks with the Kremlin, enhance the alliance's military defences and discuss a potential package of sanctions should Russia invade Ukraine.

BLOOMBERG, REUTERS