Ukrainian Parliament: "Belarus Involved in Russia's Invasion of Ukraine"... US Says "No Evidence"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Ukrainian parliament claimed that Belarusian troops participated in the invasion of Ukraine to assist Russian forces, but the U.S. side has stated that there is no evidence yet. The Belarusian government also denied the entry of its troops into Ukrainian territory.

On the 1st (local time), according to the U.S. political media outlet Politico, the Ukrainian parliament, Verkhovna Rada, tweeted that "Belarusian troops have joined Russia's invasion of Ukraine." The Ukrainian parliament confirmed that "the Belarusian army, consisting of 33 units, entered the Chernihiv region located north of Kyiv."

However, the U.S. Department of Defense denied the Ukrainian parliament's claim, stating that no evidence has been confirmed yet. A U.S. Department of Defense official said at a briefing that "we have not confirmed Belarusian troops entering Ukraine" and "we have seen no signs of such."

Belarus also denied the entry of its troops into Ukraine. Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized, "There was no decision made by me for our troops to enter Ukraine. Without my decision, these units cannot even withdraw from their barracks," adding, "No Belarusian units have moved from their bases." However, President Lukashenko hinted at the possibility of deployment, stating, "We have deployed additional troops, short-range missiles, and heavy weapons along the border with Ukraine," and "If a dangerous situation arises, Belarus can mobilize troops within 2 to 3 days."

Earlier, the Belarusian government conducted large-scale joint military exercises with Russia near the Ukrainian border in January and allowed the stationing of Russian invasion forces heading toward Kyiv. As the Russian invasion forces in Ukraine have reached a stalemate, there have been suggestions that Russia might consider deploying Belarusian troops as an alternative.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.