Main points
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia is trying to drag Belarus into a war against Ukraine.
- According to the president, for this purpose, Russia is holding meetings with Alexander Lukashenko.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported a possible threat from Belarus / AP, Peter Dejong, illustrative
Russia is trying to involve Belarus in waging war against Ukraine; the leaderships of both countries have already held relevant meetings in order to convince Minsk to join the aggression.
The relevant information was reported by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
How is Russia trying to influence Belarus?
The president said that Russia continues to try to involve Belarus in the war against Ukraine. Recently, the Russian side has held additional contacts with Alexander Lukashenko to convince him to support the new aggression.
In particular, Russia is considering plans for operations in the directions south and north of the territory of Belarus – either against the Chernihiv-Kyiv direction in Ukraine, or against one of the NATO countries – specifically from the territory of Belarus,
– he wrote.
According to him, Kyiv is informed about the content of contacts between Russia and Belarus regarding the possible involvement of Minsk in new aggressive actions against Ukraine, which, as the president emphasized, will defend itself and its citizens.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also assured that he had instructed the Defense and Security Forces to strengthen the relevant direction and prepare a response plan, which should be considered at a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters.
By the way, former head of the SBU Ivan Stupak reported in a commentary on Channel 24 that in the event of Belarus' invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv would paralyze the enemy country's economy by destroying its oil refineries.
In his opinion, the involvement of the Belarusian side in the war will have negative consequences for both Minsk and Moscow. But the threat will be seriously considered after 5,000 or more military personnel are deployed to the border.
What else did the president announce?
Volodymyr Zelensky, citing updated Ukrainian intelligence data, reports that the Russians are preparing for new massive attacks on the territory of Ukraine using strike drones, as well as various missiles.
He clarified that among the potential targets, the occupiers are considering almost two dozen critically important objects, including political centers and military command posts. Kyiv has already taken into account the relevant information.
What is the threat from Belarus?
The Center for Countering Disinformation, analyzing Belarus' latest statements, reported that the country is not preparing any ground operations against Ukraine, as it does not have enough resources to launch a new aggression on the side of Russia.
Instead, Deputy Head of the Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, Pavel Latushko, told Channel 24 that the increase in the country's military budget indicates a real threat, but the situation is not critical at the moment.
Executive Director of the Ukrainian Center for Security and Cooperation Dmytro Zhmaylo believes that such actions by the Belarusian leadership may indicate both a threat to Ukraine and intentions to increase psychological pressure.