Belarus ‘president’ Alexander Lukashenko called Ukraine an “additional threat” yesterday and vowed to close the 1,084 km land border.

“From today, no one from the west or south should set foot in Belarus,” Lukashenko said. “Close every meter of the border.” On July 2, Lukashenko ordered the border closed, but apparently the closing was partial. Next month, Russia and Belarus will hold large-scale crossborder military drills, Belarus’ defense ministry said yesterday. Ukraine’s deputy presidential chief of staff, Roman Mashovets, has called these ‘West-2021’ drills “aggressive in nature.”