Russia, Belarus to end drills as planned - officials

FILE PHOTO: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Poland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau in Moscow, Russia February 15, 2022. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov/Pool

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia and Belarus will end their joint military drills on Feb. 20 as previously planned, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday, addressing Western concerns that Russian troops may stay in Belarus for a longer time.

Separately, the RIA news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that the matter of extending Russian troops' stay in Belarus was not on the agenda.

The drills in Belarus have added to Western fears of a possible Russian invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. Moscow has denied planning such an attack.

(Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; editing by John Stonestreet)