New Russian exercises will be overseen by Putin

“Strategic force exercises are scheduled for February 19, which will be held under the supervision of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, during which ballistic and floating missiles will be launched,” the ministry said in a statement. on February 18th.

The exercise is said to be attended by air force troops and equipment from the southern, northern and Black Sea regions.

The remarks come hours after Belarus’s authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, arrived in Moscow for talks with Putin to decide whether to withdraw Russian troops from Belarus when joint military exercises end on February 20.

The participation of over 30,000 troops in these exercises has worried the West about the Kremlin’s real intentions for troop gatherings.

US intelligence estimates that some 130,000 troops and military equipment are located in areas bordering Ukraine.

Russia has insisted it has no plans to invade, but at the same time seeks guarantees on security issues in Europe, including that NATO not expand to countries like Ukraine, or another former Soviet republic, Georgia.

Moscow’s claims to the West include:

NATO to end military activity in Eastern Europe and withdraw troops from Poland and the Baltic republics, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The North Atlantic Alliance should not position missiles in countries near or on the border with Russia

The United States and NATO have responded by saying that Ukraine has the right to choose its allies, but have offered Russia the opportunity to negotiate on missiles and other issues.

If Russia invades Ukraine, this would not be the first time.

Russia annexed the Ukrainian Peninsula of Crimea in 2014.

The country also supports rebels in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, in which some 14,000 people have died.

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