International Courant
MOSCOW (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin on Friday accused NATO member Poland of getting territorial ambitions within the former Soviet Union, and mentioned any aggression in opposition to Russia’s neighbour and shut ally Belarus can be thought of an assault on Russia.
Moscow would react to any aggression in opposition to Belarus, which kinds a unfastened “Union State” with Russia, “with all of the means at our disposal”, Putin instructed a gathering of his Safety Council in televised remarks.
Warsaw’s Safety Committee selected Wednesday to maneuver army items to jap Poland after members of the Russian Wagner mercenary pressure arrived in Belarus, the state-run information company PAP quoted its secretary as saying on Friday.
On Wednesday, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was proven in a video welcoming his fighters to Belarus, telling them they might take no additional half for now within the battle in Ukraine however ordering them to collect energy for Africa whereas they skilled the Belarusian military.
Prigozhin says Wagner, which led the grinding conquest of the Ukrainian metropolis of Bakhmut, is Russia’s handiest preventing pressure. However his frequent clashes with the Moscow defence institution led him to stage an armed mutiny 4 weeks in the past.
The rebellion ended with an settlement that Wagner fighters, many recruited from jail, would both transfer to Belarus, enroll with the Russian military or return to their properties.
On Thursday, Belarus mentioned Wagner mercenaries had began to coach Belarusian particular forces at a army vary just some miles from the border with Poland.
Putin mentioned there have been press reviews of plans for a Polish-Lithuanian unit for use for operations in western Ukraine – elements of which prior to now belonged to Poland – and in the end to occupy territory there.
“It’s well-known that in addition they dream of the Belarusian lands,” he mentioned, additionally with out offering any proof.
“However so far as Belarus is anxious, it’s a part of the Union State (with Russia); unleashing aggression in opposition to Belarus will imply aggression in opposition to the Russian Federation,” Putin mentioned. “We’ll reply to this with all of the means at our disposal.”
Poland denies any territorial ambitions in Belarus.
(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Kevin Liffey; Enhancing by Andrew Osborn)
Putin tells Poland any aggression in opposition to Belarus is assault on Russia
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