Zelenskiy says Russia considering plan to attack NATO country from Belarus
May 15 (Reuters) – Russia is trying to draw Belarus deeper into its war in Ukraine and is considering plans to attack northern Ukraine or a NATO country from Belarusian territory, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday.
“We continue to document Russia’s attempts to draw Belarus further into the war against Ukraine,” Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app after meeting with military and intelligence officials.
He said Ukraine knew of additional contacts between Russia and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to persuade him to join “new Russian offensive operations.”
“Russia is considering plans for operations to the south and north of Belarusian territory – either against the Chernihiv-Kiev direction in Ukraine, or directly against one of the NATO countries from Belarusian territory,” he said, without giving further details.
Belarus borders Ukraine to the south and NATO members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia to the north and west.
There was no immediate response from Moscow or Minsk to Zelenskiy’s comments. Moscow does not disclose its military plans in Ukraine, which are classified as state secrets.
Lukashenko, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies, allowed the use of his territory for part of Russia’s February 2022 invasion of its smaller neighbor but did not send Belarusian troops to fight there.
Minsk has since agreed to deploy Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons and hypersonic Oreshnik missiles on its territory.
Zelenskiy said last month that he had received intelligence that Ukraine was making preparations indicating that Russia would once again try to involve Belarus in its more than four-year war.
“If Alexander Lukashenko makes the wrong decision and decides to support this intention of Russia, Ukraine will undoubtedly defend itself and its people,” he said.
Zelenskiy said he “instructed Ukrainian defense forces to prepare an intervention plan and strengthen defense in the northern Chernihiv and Kiev regions.”
(Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
