Is an entry of Belarus into the war against Ukraine looming?
For weeks, Ukrainian President Zelensky has been warning that Russia is attempting to openly draw Belarus into the war.
Ukrainian intelligence services have reportedly registered the construction of roads leading toward the Ukrainian border as well as the preparation of artillery positions in Belarus. According to the Ukrainian side, Russia is considering offensive scenarios launched from Belarus toward Chernihiv and Kyiv. The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stated that the Russian General Staff is examining offensive operations from the north in order to stretch the front line.
However, according to the prevailing assessment of independent Belarusian analysts, no troop movements have so far been observed that would clearly substantiate these scenarios. A direct Belarusian entry into the war remains rather unlikely. Nevertheless, the situation remains tense given the country’s close military alignment with Russia and its high degree of militarization.
Most recently, Russia and Belarus conducted joint exercises with a nuclear dimension, thereby creating a clear posture of intimidation. On 25 May, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leading representative of the democratic Belarusian opposition, arrived in Kyiv — an important political signal from Ukraine that Ukrainian Belarusian relations are to be oriented more strongly toward the democratic opposition and distanced from dictator Lukashenka.
