Belarusian president denies sending troops to Syria
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday that reports that claim Belorussia plans to send soldiers to Syria are fake.
On February 7, the Belarusian News Agency reported that a draft agreement between Russia and its ally Belarus says that the Belarusian troops will work to provide “humanitarian assistance” to the population outside combat zones.
“The news that claimed Belorussia plans to send soldiers to Syria are fake and groundless,” the Belarusian News Agency quoted President Lukashenko.
“I haven’t sent anyone there,” Lukashenko said on Tuesday, adding that Syria had asked for humanitarian assistance and he discussed sending military medics there at some point.
The document, which is yet to be signed by the countries’ foreign and defense ministries, states that Belarusian troops will act under operational control of the Russian military in Syria when deployed to the country.
In recent weeks, Russia has moved troops from Siberia and the Far East to Belarus for sweeping joint drills. The deployment added to the Russian military buildup near Ukraine, fueling Western fears of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.