Keeping Russian troops in Belarus after the exercise will threaten security in the region, Lithuanian foreign minister says

February 5, BPN. If Russian troops remain in Belarus after the February exercises Union Resolve 2022, it would threaten security in the region, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on the BBC’s Hardtalk show.

“Russia seeks to change the security architecture of the region,” Delfi quoted the official as saying. “The so-called exercises in Belarus, where Belarusian and Russian troops will train from February 10, affect our security. If soldiers remain near the Lithuanian and Polish borders after February 20, it would cause insecurity in our region.”

According to Landsbergis, many in the West believe that Belarus has already lost its sovereignty. He noted that “until last year, there were no permanent Russian military bases in Belarus,” while the country “maintained control over its borders.”

“But now we see that the military build-up is so large that it changes the situation in Belarus quite dramatically, especially if we see that those troops remain. The question has been raised and will be raised in the future – is Belarus still a sovereign country?” said the head of Lithuanian diplomacy.