MOSCOW. July 1 (Interfax) - The information about Ukrainian troops and hardware being deployed towards the Belarusian border worries both Minsk and Moscow, and Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko will have an opportunity to discuss this at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
"Of course, this is a source of concern for both Minsk and Moscow," Peskov told reporters, while commenting on the information from Belarus about the deployment of Ukrainian troops and hardware towards the border.
As to whether Putin and Lukashenko will discuss the issue, including on the SCO summit sidelines, Peskov said, "If they think that is necessary, they can do it, because they will meet there."
As to whether Moscow is ready to help Minsk in case of provocations by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Peskov said Belarus is a member of the Union State, and Russia has special formats for bilateral dialogue through respective agencies, including special services.
"Our defense ministries are in constant contact as partners," Peskov said.