Belarus dismisses demand by Ukraine to withdraw troops from border

By Seda Sevencan

ISTANBUL (AA) — Belarus on Monday dismissed demands by Ukraine that Minsk withdraw its forces from the border between the two countries.

Answering a question posed by the media on the matter, Belarusian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Anatoly Glaz claimed that Kyiv has flown combat drones over Belarusian territory, accusing it of "constant provocations" along the border.

"Thus, the Ukrainian leadership launches combat drones through the territory of Belarus, and a week later on the website of its Foreign Ministry is surprised at the actions of our armed forces, performing tasks to ensure the security of the territory of Belarus and our citizens," Glaz said, according to a statement by the Foreign Ministry.

Glaz also said Minsk had received no formal message from Ukraine demanding the withdrawal from the border. "We have only seen this statement on the Internet Source," the statement quoted him as saying.

He criticized the Ukrainian statement, describing it as "quite convoluted" and highlighted recent Ukrainian military activities, such as the use of drones over Belarusian territory, as contradictory to their demand for troop withdrawal.

"We do not know what logic the Ukrainian side is guided by. Perhaps there is some kind of a cunning game here, designed for internal use or to receive applause from the West. However, the main thing in such a game is not to outsmart oneself," Glaz added.

Earlier, Kyiv had warned its northern neighbor not to make any "tragic mistakes" and called on Minsk to withdraw what it described as a "significant number" of troops near the border.

The statement said data from Ukrainian intelligence agencies suggested that the Belarusian military was "concentrating a significant number of personnel" in the country's Gomel region near the Ukraine border "under the guise of exercises."

Minsk's ties with neighboring Kyiv have deteriorated over its support for Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine, which continues into its third year.