The Kremlin said on Monday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's claim that Russia is considering an attack on a NATO country from Belarusian territory does not deserve a response from Russia, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the statement as an attempt to escalate tensions.
On Friday, Zelensky said that Russia was trying to drag Belarus deeper into the war and could use its territory to attack northern Ukraine or a NATO country.
Belarus borders Ukraine to the south and NATO members Lithuania, Latvia and Poland to the northwest and west, respectively. The country has already been used as a staging ground for Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and is home to Russian tactical nuclear weapons.
Asked about Zelensky's comments, Peskov said: "Such a statement is nothing more than an attempt to further inflame tensions, aimed at prolonging the war."
"We do not believe such a statement deserves any comment," he added.
Meanwhile, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said the country's armed forces, in cooperation with Russia, had begun exercises to test their readiness to deploy nuclear weapons. The ministry stressed that the maneuvers were not directed against a specific country and did not pose a threat to the region.