State Duma deputy Kolesnik admitted the possibility of provocations by Ukraine against Belarus
Quick Look
Member of the State Duma Committee on Defense Andrei Kolesnik commented on the statements of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and Vladimir Zelensky about the situation on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border, admitting the possibility of provocations from Kyiv and emphasizing the defensive nature of Minsk’s actions.
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Why It Matters
Vladimir Zelensky demanded that Alexander Lukashenko remove the equipment from the border, threatening to take independent action in case of refusal.
The leadership of Ukraine may arrange some provocations against Minsk, said Andrei Kolesnik, a member of the State Duma Committee on Defense. He shared his comment with Lenta.ru.
Earlier, the leader of the Belarusian opposition Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said that repeaters were allegedly being installed along the Belarusian border with Ukraine and with the countries of the European Union.
“As if [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky and the leadership of Ukraine would not try to arrange some provocations against Belarus. Since they are talking about something, you have to understand that you can expect something nasty. Well, it’s okay, we haven’t dealt with such provocations, we’ll handle it this time too, we’ve already learned how to stop these nasty things,” the deputy responded.
Firstly, Belarus does not release anything on the territory of Ukraine, Kolesnik pointed out. Secondly, if some kind of equipment is installed on the country’s border, it is for the purpose of protection, to intercept drones, he added.
“Still, no one is going to threaten Ukraine from Belarus. It is Ukraine that can threaten it. I don’t know whether they exist or not, I can’t say, but there must definitely be some kind of devices to protect the territory of Belarus. You can't be caught off guard. We have already gone through this in our history,” the parliamentarian concluded.
On June 19, Zelensky demanded that his Belarusian colleague Alexander Lukashenko withdraw within a week the equipment allegedly located along the border with Ukraine that was correcting the strikes of the Russian Armed Forces. According to him, if Minsk does not remove or turn off drone repeaters in border regions, Kyiv will do it itself.
Open Questions
- Are there actually relays at the border?
- What specific measures will Ukraine take if the ultimatum is not fulfilled?
