Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked his government to negotiate with Minsk to establish joint military training centers with Belarus, Russia’s neighbor and one of the very few countries that support it in its attack on Ukraine.
Putin assigned the defense and foreign ministers to negotiate with their Belarusian counterparts to establish these centers, without further details.
It is noteworthy that Belarus, Russia’s close ally, constitutes a rear base for the Russian forces in the attack it launched against Ukraine on February 24, but the Belarusian army has so far refrained from engaging in fighting on Ukrainian soil.
In mid-October, Belarus and Russia announced the formation of a joint military force.
