Putin visits Belarus as Russia holds joint military exercises with allies
Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Belarus on Monday for talks with his counterpart and ally Alexander Lukashenko. Belarus is one of the rare countries that fully supports Russia in its war with neighbouring Ukraine. The meeting coincides with an announcement of joint military exercises in both Belarus and China.
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Moscow announced the pair will discuss Russian-Belarusian integration "as well as current topics on the international and regional agenda".
The visit comes 10 months into Russia's offensive in Ukraine, which was launched from several directions, including Belarusian territory.
Minsk announced the visit earlier on Friday and the presidential office said the leaders will hold one-on-one talks as well as wider negotiations with their ministers.
Joint exercises with Belarus
Russian troops will conduct military exercises in Belarus, which shares a border with Ukraine, Russia's Interfax news agency said on Monday, citing the defence ministry in Moscow.
In October, Belarus announced the formation of a joint regional force with Moscow with several thousand Russian servicemen arriving in the country.
"The final assessment of the combat capability and combat readiness of the units will be given... after the battalion tactical exercises have been conducted," Interfax quoted the ministry as saying.
Two weeks before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, on 24 February, Russia also held joint exercises with Belarus.
On Monday, Interfax reported that Belarussian troops "completed a combat readiness test" quoting the Belarus Ministry of Defence as saying that it was "defensive in nature."
Lukashenko has repeatedly said he does not plan to send Belarusian troops to Ukraine.
Naval exercises with China
According to the website of the Russian Defence Ministry, Russia and China will jointly hold the Naval Interaction-2022 exercise from 21-27 December in the East China Sea.
"Joint rocket and artillery firing" at targets in the air and at sea will be held as well as "joint anti-submarine actions," the ministry said.
The main goal of the exercises, is to "strengthen naval cooperation between Russia and China and maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region."
Russia will be presented by the "flagship of the Pacific Fleet," the Order of Nakhimov, and four other ships.
China will take part with 2 destroyers, 2 patrol boats, a supply ship and a diesel submarine.
Since 2012, Russia and China have been holding annual exercises to "counter threats at sea."
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