Russian bid to again involve Belarus in war: Zelenskiy

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine believes Russia is preparing to once again involve its ally Belarus in the four-year war.

Zelenskiy said Ukrainian intelligence showed that Belarus had begun expanding roads and building artillery positions in areas near the Ukrainian border.

“We believe that Russia will once again try to involve Belarus in its war,” Zelenskiy said on social media.

He did not provide evidence of construction activities in Belarus.

In February 2022, when Russia began its large-scale invasion of Ukraine, it also entered Ukrainian territory from Belarus.

Zelenskiy said on Friday that Ukraine had instructed the Belarusian leadership to warn that “Ukraine is ready to defend its territory and independence.”

He also said that the Belarusian government should take into account what happened to the Venezuelan leader.

“The nature and consequences of recent events in Venezuela should prevent the Belarusian leadership from making mistakes,” Zelenskiy said.

In January, the US military captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and took him and his wife to New York; there they have since been jailed, facing drug trafficking conspiracies and other charges.

with DPA