Russian President Putin arrived in Minsk on Monday in what many see as an attempt to persuade Belarus to join the war against Ukraine.
But even if President Lukashenko is Putin’s staunch ally, it is far from certain that he wants to send Belarusian soldiers to the front. Belarus is not considered to have large enough military forces to play a decisive role. Rather, Russia – if it launches a major offensive later this winter – could use Belarusian territory to attack Ukraine.
During the leaders’ meeting, Lukashenko emphasized two areas in particular that were discussed during today’s meeting – defense and security. But the fact that the two cooperate on those issues does not mean that they close completely, Lukashenko said after the meeting.
– Russia and Belarus are open to dialogue with other states, including European ones. I hope they will soon listen to the voice of reason.
Difficult balancing act for Lukashenko
Belarus is not formally a party to the Ukraine war, but Russian forces have started from Belarusian soil and received support from, among other things, the Belarusian healthcare system. Aleksandr Lukashenko walks a difficult balancing act. On the one hand, he avoids getting involved in a war that would not find much support among the Belarusian population. On the other hand, the longtime dictator is increasingly dependent on Russia’s support, not least when he received Russian help to quell the nationwide protests that followed the rigged 2020 presidential election.
In the clip above: See the latest about the situation in Ukraine and about today’s meeting in Minsk