Russia and Belarus extend military drills amid Ukraine tensions

 As a result of the expansion of drills, Western countries are concerned, with the United States Secretary of State claiming it is a harbinger of an impending invasion of Ukraine.

Military training in Belarus, which were scheduled to finish on Sunday, will be extended by Russia, according to the Belarusian defence ministry, a move that has heightened concerns about a Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Antonio Bronic Reuters

As a result of military activities along the borders of Russia and Belarus, as well as the situation in eastern Ukraine's Donbas area, according to the defense ministry, the decision was made.

In that location, sporadic firing across the line separating Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed rebels intensified dramatically last week and continued on Sunday.

According to Blinken, who spoke to CNN, all indications pointed to Russia preparing to invade. Russia has categorically denied the existence of such programs.

According to Blinken, "everything we are seeing says that this is a very serious situation, that we are on the verge of an invasion." He said that the West was equally prepared in the event of a Russian attack.

To see whether diplomacy can still prevent President Putin from pursuing this course of action until the tanks are actually rolling and the planes are taking off, we will take use of every chance and every minute we have available to us."

During a phone conversation, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, agreed on the importance of a diplomatic solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, according to both countries.

According to a French presidential adviser, the two leaders agreed that a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which would include officials from Ukraine and Russia, should take place on Monday.

Poland, which is now in charge of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said earlier this week that it will convene an extraordinary session of the council, which is committed to averting armed conflict, on Monday at Ukraine's request.

According to Belarus, Russian forces in Belarus, estimated by NATO to number 30,000, might remain in the nation, which is located north of Ukraine for an indefinite period of time.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES