2 years ago
Belarus has served as a staging ground for Russia's intervention in Ukraine, but strongman Alexander Lukashenko has so far avoided becoming a party to the conflict. Observers stress that there is no end in sight for Moscow's more than four-month military campaign in Ukraine and do not rule out that Belarus could still be dragged into it, too. Cat Survives Feline Disease and Now Spreads Awareness with Dad | Cuddle Buddies.
What is Putin capable of doing? Will he be able to force Lukashenko to join? It's an open question." Lukashenko has sought to promote himself as Putin's most faithful ally, welcoming Russian troops under the pretext of military exercises before Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive, trying and failing to take the capital Kyiv.
He has also argued that had Moscow not intervened, Ukraine would have attacked Belarus. Despite officially being a non-belligerent, the Belarus strongman has demanded that his country be included in any talks and a deal to end the conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this week that Kyiv did not believe Minsk would be dragged into the conflict. "But there are and will be provocations," Zelensky said. "There is a threat of Belarus getting involved.
In early July, Lukashenko said his army had shot down missiles fired into their territory from Ukraine and vowed to respond "instantly" to any enemy strike. Putin has said that Moscow will deliver Iskander-M missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons to Belarus "in the coming months". Shraibman, who fled Lukashenko's repressive regime in 2021, pointed out that the Belarusian strongman provided the necessary logistical support for Russia but has conspicuously refrained from sending troops to Ukraine. "I'm not sure the Belarusian army would add much," he said.
It's way more reasonable to keep them on the border, to keep Ukrainians on alert on the border, rather than moving the few battalions Belarus has into war." Russian military analyst Alexander Khramchikhin struck a similar note, saying Minsk's involvement in the conflict was unlikely. "The Belarusian army has zero combat experience compared to both the Ukrainian and Russian armies," he said.
Total Comments: 0