Belarus prepares to send peacekeeping forces to Ukraine?

Belarus's leadership has decided which side to take.

A correspondent of the Russian website Nasha Versia has learnt that the chiefs of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus began to form peacekeeping units, which task will be to maintain order outside Belarus, supposedly in the Donbas region.

According to preliminary information, four peacekeeping battalions with a total number of personnel of 1,500 (around 300 of whom are reservists) will be formed.

It's worth noting that the formation of the peacekeeping forces coincided with the sudden exercises of the Belarusian armed forces, the biggest ones in the post-Soviet period. The exercises will last until February 1. According to chief of the Belarusian General Staff Major General Aleh Belakoneu, exercises to practice the redeployment of air forces and air defence troops and strengthened border control will be held.

The maneuvers will be carried out at the maximum number of training ranges in Brest, Obuz-Lesnovski, Lepel, Hozha, Asipovichy and Barysau.

“It shows not only the large scale of the exercises, but also the comprehensive approach to training,” the official news agency BelTA reports. “It is planned to involve special task units that will have their own special drills.”

It is not ruled out that “special task units” will be sent to Donbas. The Ministry of Defence of Belarus neither confirms nor denies this information.

The Ministry of Defence issued the following press release: “Whatever the grounds for such decisions of our foreign parters are, Belarus cannot ignore the changes in the military and political situation in the region that pose additional risks, challenges and threats to the country's military security.”

Politologist Lev Vershinin concludes: “Minsk gives to understand that it doesn't have any illusions regarding the restructuring of the post-Soviet area that was inspired by the West at Kyiv's Maidan. Kyiv was yesterday, Moscow is today and Minsk is tomorrow. The Belarusian leadership seems to have decided which side to take. It means that it will give Russia all possible aid and support.”