Kremlin Denies Pressuring Belarus for New Front as Minsk Warns of Bid to Drag It Into War
Updated
Updated · The Jerusalem Post · Jun 25
Kremlin Denies Pressuring Belarus for New Front as Minsk Warns of Bid to Drag It Into War
2 articles · Updated · The Jerusalem Post · Jun 25
Summary
Belarus on Thursday said it sees a “blatant” attempt to drag the country into the Ukraine war, while the Kremlin rejected a Wall Street Journal report that Moscow is pressing Minsk to open a new front.
The report said Russia wants to use Belarusian territory for more drone launches into Ukraine and has floated operations against NATO states, though sources saw no signs of an imminent attack beyond drone ground stations.
Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier this month that Russian drone stations in Belarus could support attacks on southern Ukraine or the Baltic region, gave Alexander Lukashenko a week to remove them, and said Wednesday they had stopped working.
Belarus has largely stayed out of direct combat since Russia used its territory in the 2022 drive on Kyiv, but about 2,000 Russian troops remain there and Belarusian fuel shipments to Russia have surged, including a nearly 13-fold jump in gasoline rail exports this year.
Is Russia's military buildup in Belarus a real threat or a grand deception to divide Ukraine's forces?
With its sovereignty eroding, is Belarus becoming Russia's next battleground against NATO?
Belarus Under Siege: Russian Leverage, Nuclear Escalation, and the Collapse of Regional Security in 2026
Overview
The report highlights the sharp contrast between Kremlin denials and mounting evidence from Western and Ukrainian sources that Russia is pressuring Belarus to deepen its involvement in the war against Ukraine. While Russia officially denies such pressure, it is reportedly threatening to cut off vital financial support to Belarus, on which Minsk heavily depends. This coercion aims to secure greater Belarusian assistance for Moscow’s military operations. The situation underscores a complex geopolitical standoff, where Russia’s actions and denials clash with persistent reports of its leverage over Belarus, revealing the fragile balance and heightened tensions in the region.