MINSK, July 13. /TASS/. The tensions on the border with Ukraine have been eliminated, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said at a meeting on military security in the southern operational area.
"After we had done some work, the Ukrainians pulled back their armed forces and additional troops, which they had deployed along our border. They pulled them back from the border and in general withdrew from the Belarusian-Ukrainian border area. Now we have no problems with the Ukrainians, and I hope we won’t have any," the president said, as quoted by the BelTA news agency.
Lukashenko orders to withdraw additional forces deployed at Ukrainian border
"Their (Ukrainian - TASS) troops have been removed," he said.
"Therefore, guys, our troops need to be pulled back from the border, too. It will send them (Ukrainians - TASS) a signal (as we have agreed) that we are not going to fight and we are not going to increase military presence here, except for special operations forces," the Belarusian leader said.
"If you need to withdraw troops from somewhere, go ahead. There should not be any unnecessary moves," he said.
Lukashenko told Commander of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces Vadim Denisenko that he should specify the locations of the troops involved in border reinforcement on a rotational basis.
"Make sure they (special operations forces) stay at the designated areas on a rotational basis. Make things more comfortable for them given such a heat wave. We need several people at these designated facilities on a rotational basis. Take the rest to places of permanent deployment," the president said.