Belarus asks Ukraine to withdraw military & foreign missions with weapons from border

In an effort to defuse tensions between the Ukrainian and Belarusian military forces on the border, Belarus on Saturday asked the Ukrainian regime to withdraw its soldiers and foreign missions with weapons. Chairman of the State Border Committee of Belarus Anatoly Lappo told the state-affiliated agency Belta that Kyiv needs to withdraw the defence and military from the border to avoid escalating the situation. 

"To de-escalate tensions, the Ukrainians need to withdraw the military personnel from the border, and not place foreign missions with weapons. The fewer servicemen, except border guards, there should be fewer prerequisites for conflict on the borders," the department's press service was quoted by Belta as saying on October 15.

According to the Chairman of the State Border Committee of Belarus, the border guards of Minsk will be able to suppress provocations by neighbouring states in case there was an escalation. The committee also accused Poland of attempting to worsen the situation. "Of course, there is tension from the Polish side and from the Baltic countries, but the Ukrainian direction deserves special attention. Border guards there are on heightened duty because on their side people often go to the border unmarked," Anatoly Lappo told Belta. In addition, he said, there have been "situations of provocations and insults to our state symbols. We have enough forces and means to protect our state border," the head of the department asserted. 

Lukashenko imposes 'terrorism' alert in Belarus

Belarusian authoritarian leader Lukashenko this week also placed Minsk on what is being reported as a "heightened terrorism alert" due to looming tensions on the border with Ukraine. Belarus' dictator warned the West not to corner nuclear-armed Russia, as he commanded the deployment of Belarusian armed forces jointly with Russian forces on the Ukrainian border.

The US in view of the recent developments asserted that it is planning to impose crippling sanctions on ally nations to Moscow which supports the latter with ammunition during the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine.  At a briefing, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said that the Biden administration is preparing to impose such a crackdown on Russia's allies. Belarusian leader meanwhile ordered his country on heightened terror alert. He is also accused of providing his country's soil as the staging ground for an attack on Ukraine in the largest invasion of the EU since WWII. Lukashenko also covertly conducted a small-scale mobilisation to "man up the existing combat units" as tension with Ukraine on the border worsened.