White House Says Russia-Belarus Military Cooperation 'Escalatory' Action

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd February, 2022) Joint military exercises and cooperation between Russian and Belarusian forces constitute an escalatory action that will impact NATO's response in Eastern Europe, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday.

"Clearly this is an escalatory, not a de-escalatory action, and certainly we look at these developments as we make assessments about how to support and work with our other NATO partners in the region," Psaki said during a press gaggle when asked about ongoing joint military exercises between Russia and Belarus.

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield raised concerns about the matter at the forum earlier this week. Psaki said. Russia currently has nearly 5,000 troops in Belarus with plans to expand that presence to over 30,000, Thomas-Greenfield said on Monday.

Russia and Belarus will hold more than 20 joint military exercises in 2022, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the Defense Department announced the deployment of additional US forces to Poland, Germany, and Romania in the next several days. US officials said the deployment of an additional 3,000 troops is designed to reinforce NATO's eastern flank amid the Ukraine crisis.

The situation around Ukraine has evolved in recent months after NATO and Ukraine accused Russia of building up troops near the Ukrainian border as preparation for an alleged invasion. Russia has consistently denied any plans to invade Ukraine, saying it has the right to move troops inside its territory and respond to what it considers threats to its national security, such as a growing NATO presence in Eastern Europe.