Putin meets Lucashencon, warning of the involvement of Belarus in war

Putin's visit to Minsk, the first since 2019, has reportedly been under way to pressure this country to join a new land offensive on Ukraine. For the past few days it has been said that Russia is also aimed at opening a new battlefront.

Ukrainian General Valery Zaluzhniy said last week that Russia is making nearly 200,000 new troops for a massive offensive that could start from east, south or even Belarus in early January.

For months Russia and its ally, Belarus, have been carrying out continued military activities.

Russian troops moved to Belarus's territory in October to become part of a regional formation in order to conduct tactical battalion exercises.

Lukashenko had indicated in October that the establishment of the joint military group with Russia is being done on defence purposes, adding that this group will not number more than 1,000 soldiers.

Belarus's involvement in the war against Ukraine, Lukashenko had called it false, saying that by this speculation, Western states are preparing for an attack on Belarus.

Military analysts are seeing Belarus maneuvering as bait to force Ukraine to engage its forces in the north so that it is more exposed to Russian attacks elsewhere.