Belarus‘ authoritarian ruler said Tuesday that he has no plans to send troops to Syria to fight alongside Russian forces, but he did leave the door open for military medics to be deployed there.

President Alexander Lukashenko made the remark after Russia and Belarus released a draft agreement that calls for the deployment of up to 200 Belarusian military soldiers to Syria.

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The foreign and military ministries of both countries have yet to sign the agreement provided by the Russian government on Monday. When deployed in Syria, Belarusian military personnel will be under the operational authority of the Russian military, according to the document.

Since 2015, Russia has been engaged in a military operation in Syria, partnering with Iran to assist Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government in regaining control of the majority of the nation following a brutal civil war.

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The revelation of the possible deployment of Belarusian military personnel to Syria comes amid growing defence relations between the two ex-Soviet neighbours and friends, and the Belarusian opposition reacted angrily.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko’s main rival in an August 2020 election derided by the opposition and the West as a fraud, said the planned deployment to Syria was Lukashenko’s vengeance for Moscow’s support for his crackdown on post-election protests.

Lukashenko claimed that he had not yet authorised any deployment in an apparent attempt to deflect criticism.

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“I haven’t sent anyone there,” Lukashenko said Tuesday, adding that Syria had asked for humanitarian assistance and he discussed sending military medics there at some point.

“If they need doctors, we will offer help,” he said. “But not now — we have plenty of our own problems now and the pandemic isn’t over.”

Belarusian and Russian authorities had considered logistics to accommodate Belarusian servicemen if they were dispatched to Syria, according to Lukashenko.

Lukashenko’s reversal on the announced deployment was seen by some as part of his bartering with Moscow for more financial aid.

“Lukashenko again engages in a familiar haggling pattern, demanding pay for every step in support of the Kremlin,” said independent analyst Valery Karbalevich.

Despite harsh Western sanctions prompted by his crackdown on internal protesters, Belarus’s president has grown increasingly reliant on Moscow’s political and financial assistance, has sought for stronger defence ties with Moscow, and has lately volunteered to host Russian nuclear weapons.

Russia has dispatched troops from Siberia and the Far East to Belarus for sweeping military drills in recent weeks. The deployment fueled Western worries of a Russian invasion of Ukraine by adding to Russia’s military buildup along the Ukrainian border.

(with inputs from AP)