Moscow has declined to confirm Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's announcement that Russia and Belarus will “deploy a joint regional group of troops."
When asked about Lukashenko's comments, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: "Interaction in various fields, including defense, is constantly discussed in the course of bilateral contacts between Putin and Lukashenko."
In recent days, tensions between Belarus and Ukraine have risen, with the Belarusian Foreign Ministry accusing Kyiv of planning an attack on its territory.
In turn the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said "this information is not true."
"We categorically reject these latest insinuations by the Belarusian regime. We cannot rule out that this diplomatic note may be part of a provocation on the part of the Russian Federation to further incriminate Ukraine.
"Ukraine has never encroached on foreign territories. We strictly adhere to the fundamental norms and principles of international law and the UN Charter," the ministry added.
"(In) Belarus, military inspections have been extended until October 15. Also, once again, the closure of the airspace in the southern regions of this country was continued," the Ukrainian military said at the weekend.