Back away from the border or risk ‘tragic mistakes’ – POLITICO

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko said earlier this month that he had deployed nearly a third of his country's armed forces to the border with Ukraine. He told state television that the move was in response to Kyiv's buildup of troops near the border with Belarus.

Kyiv's statement rejected this pretext. The Foreign Ministry said: “We emphasize that Ukraine has never taken and will not take any unfriendly measures against the Belarusian people.”

Under Lukashenko, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Belarus has allowed Moscow's troops to attack Ukraine through its territory. Russia also has nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus. Lukashenko congratulated Ukraine on its Independence Day over the weekend, wishing the people “a peaceful sky and civil harmony, prosperity for their generous country and family cohesion.”

Ukraine's statement said the deployment of Belarusian troops was concentrated in an area near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and warned: “Conducting exercises in the border area and in the immediate vicinity of the nuclear power plant … poses a threat to the national security of Ukraine and global security in general.”

Kyiv called on Belarus to “stop unfriendly actions and withdraw its troops from the state border of Ukraine to a distance greater than the firing range of the Belarusian systems.”

The statement concluded: “We warn that in the event of a violation of the state border of Ukraine by Belarus, our state will take all necessary measures to exercise the right to self-defense guaranteed by the UN Charter. Consequently, all troop concentrations, military facilities and supply routes in Belarus will become legitimate targets for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”