Belarus might "soon" join Russia in its war against Ukraine, according to US and NATO officials, and the nation is already making moves in that direction.
Belarus is becoming more "likely" to join the battle, according to a NATO military officer. "Russian President Vladimir Putin requires assistance, and any assistance would be welcome," the person added.
Belarusian Forces Form Near Ukraine
According to a Belarusian opposition source, Belarusian military formations are ready to deploy into Ukraine as soon as the next few days, with tens of thousands of troops on standby. Given the consequences of another nation joining the conflict, this source believes it will have a less military impact than a geopolitical impact.
Separately, a senior NATO intelligence officer stated that the Belarusian government is "creating the conditions to justify a Belarusian invasion against Ukraine," CNN reported.
Thousands of Russian troops gathered in Belarus before Russia invaded Ukraine last month, which both nations said was for training exercises. In reaction to the conflict, the United States and Europe imposed sanctions on both Russian and Belarusian leaders, including Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Russian forces were able to launch a direct assault on Kyiv in concert with two additional lines of attack from eastern Ukraine, which borders Russia, thanks to the mobilization of roughly 30,000 troops into Belarus under the cover of joint military drills.
According to a senior European source, this staging ground allows them to "maintain this pressure on western Ukraine and the risk of cutting off humanitarian supply to Ukraine," especially if Putin can persuade Belarusian tyrant Alexander Lukashenko to send his army into the war.
Ukrainian officials believe such a scheme is in the works "in the Volyn direction," the northwestern Ukrainian province where Ukraine's, Poland's, and Belarus' borders intersect.
A frontal attack by Belarus on Ukraine would exacerbate the rift between the two nations. Putin has referred to Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus as "a triune people," a term that indicates he wants to control both nations and reflects true sociological and cultural ties between the countries.
Per The Washington Examiner, the departure of the Belarusian ambassador was marked by a heated altercation with a Ukrainian border police officer. The crossing guard urged the leaving envoy to bring a bag of money - "these 30 pieces of silver" - back to the Belarusian border officials, according to a video of the altercation.
Russia Loses 10% of Military Force
According to The Independent, the US intelligence claims Ukraine is "able and willing" to regain a part of its land after Russia apparently lost more than 10% of its military force.
It comes after the Ukrainian military said on Tuesday that it had retaken Makariv, a strategically important suburb north of Kyiv, and thwarted an offensive on Mykolaiv, a Black Sea coastal city immediately east of Odesa.
On Tuesday, Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, told the Italian parliament that his nation was "on the verge of surviving" the conflict before saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to "break through" to the rest of Europe.
Over the last 24 hours, Russian ships have been bombarding Mariupol from the Sea of Azov, according to a senior US defense official. There were roughly seven Russian ships in the region, including several warships, a minesweeper, and a couple of landing ships.
The US did not observe any evidence that ships in the Black Sea were shooting on Odesa, as they had done a few days previously, according to the official. According to the authorities, the US estimates that Russia has roughly 21 ships in the Black Sea, including a dozen surface combatant warships and some troop-carrying landing ships.
Mariupol is an important port for Ukraine, and it is located on a border between Russia and Crimea. Residents attempt to evacuate the city after a weeks-long siege that has left them without food, water, or power.