Kyiv, Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia was seeking to draw Belarus deeper into its war in Ukraine and was weighing plans to launch attacks from Belarusian territory against northern Ukraine or a NATO country.
Zelenskiy cites intelligence on Russian efforts
Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app, after meeting military and intelligence officials, that Ukraine continued to document Russia’s attempts to draw Belarus deeper into the war against Ukraine. He said Ukraine knew of additional contacts between Russia and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko aimed at persuading him to join what Zelenskiy described as new Russian aggressive operations.
Possible attack directions mentioned
Zelenskiy said Russia was considering plans for operations to the south and north of Belarusian territory, either against the Chernihiv-Kyiv direction in Ukraine or directly against one of the NATO countries from the territory of Belarus. He provided no further details.
Belarus borders Ukraine to the south and NATO members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia to the north and west.
No immediate response from Moscow or Minsk
There was no immediate response to Zelenskiy’s comments from Moscow or Minsk. Moscow does not disclose its military plans in Ukraine, which are classified as state secrets.
Belarus’ role and Russian weapons deployment
Lukashenko, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies, allowed Belarusian territory to be used for part of Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, although he has not sent Belarusian troops to fight there. Minsk has since agreed to deploy Russian tactical nuclear weapons and hypersonic Oreshnik missiles on its territory.
Previous warning from Zelenskiy
Zelenskiy said last month that Ukraine had intelligence indicating Russia was making preparations that showed it would once again try to involve Belarus in the war. He said Ukraine would defend itself and its people if Lukashenko decided to support what Zelenskiy described as Russia’s intention.
What impact do you think heightened tensions involving Belarus could have on regional security?
