The Russian government's decision to approve an agreement with Belarus on humanitarian aid to Syria has provoked speculation that the Russian military mission will soon be joined by a contingent from the former Soviet republic. At least, that is what the official text of the pact stipulates. Nevertheless, President Alexander Lukashenko categorically objected to this interpretation, pointing out that right now Minsk has enough of its own problems to deal with. But talks about sending Belarusian troops to Syria have been going on for years, and the Belarusian opposition claims that a specific plan to send troops has long been agreed upon.

Lukashenko said during a Feb. 8 meeting of the United Nations Security Council that he was surprised by the news that the Russian government approved the sending of the Belarusian military to Syria, and called the reports false. “I haven't sent anyone there,” Lukashenko said, adding that Syria had asked for humanitarian assistance and that he discussed sending military medics there at some point. “If they need doctors, we will offer help. But not now — we have plenty of our own problems now and the [coronavirus] pandemic isn't over,” he said.

Lukashenko specifically noted that Belarusian and Russian authorities had discussed logistics to accommodate the Belarusian medical personnel if they are sent to Syria. “That's the whole question,” he concluded.

However, Lukashenko's statement looks like another manipulation. After all, the topic of sending the Belarusian military to Syria under the leadership of the Russian military arose in connection with the official instruction of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to the Ministry of Defense to sign an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the provision of humanitarian aid to Syria with the Belarusian military. Even the opposition media simply reprinted excerpts from this official document, without giving any interpretations that Lukashenko had to refute.