In January and February 2022, Russian troops came in Belarus to participate in military drills. On 16 February, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei claimed that Russian soldiers will leave Belarus after training ends,[1] statement rejected later on by the Ministry of Defense, who claimed that they would remain "for an unknown period of time".[5] The number of Russian troops that would remain in Belarus was estimated to be at around 30,000.[6] Additionally, it was also speculated that Belarus could host Russian nuclear weaponry.[3]