The Security Council of Belarus said on Sunday that joint air force exercises with Russia, which should begin next week, are purely defensive in nature and will focus on reconnaissance missions and ways to counter a potential attack, RIA Novosti reports. .

Minsk also said it was “ready” for any “provocative actions” by Ukraine, as a flurry of military activity in the country raised new fears in Kyiv and the West that Russia may be preparing to use an ally that became a springboard for Russia’s invasion in February last year – to carry out a new ground attack on Ukraine, Reuters cites.

Belarus could enter into a conflict in Ukraine if Kyiv decides to “invade” one of the two countries that are part of the Russian-Belarusian state union, senior Russian Foreign Ministry official Oleksiy Polishchuk said on Friday, quoted by Reuters.

“From a legal point of view, the use of military force by the regime in Kyiv or the invasion of the armed forces of Ukraine into the territory of Belarus or Russia is sufficient grounds for a collective response” by Moscow and Minsk, Polishchuk said. news agency of the Russian state media TASS.

At the same time, the Russian diplomat noted that it depends on the leaders of the two countries whether they will make this decision or not.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said on Wednesday that his country should “be ready” on the border with Belarus, but so far he has only seen “strong statements” from the neighboring country.

“We understand that, apart from harsh statements, we do not see anything strong there, but nevertheless we must be ready both at the border and in the regions,” he said.