Russia extended military drills near Ukraine’s northern borders on Feb. 20 as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he supports an immediate ceasefire in the eastern portion of the country. The exercises, originally set to end on Feb. 20, brought a sizable contingent of Russian forces to neighboring Belarus, which borders Ukraine to the north. The presence of the Russian troops raised concern that they could be used to sweep down on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. The extension of the drills was announced by Belarusian Minister of Defense Gen. Viktor Khrenin on social media. “The preliminary results of the completed joint operational exercise ‘Allied Resolve-2022,’ conducted as part of a comprehensive check of the response forces of the Union State, have concluded,” he said on Telegram. “In connection with the increase in military activity near the external borders of the Union State [Russia and Belarus] and the aggravation of the situation …
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