Zelenskyy warns Putin is fomenting attack from Belarus

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Belarus now represents a real threat, citing its strong alliance with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zelenskyy believes Russia could launch a new offensive from Belarus this summer, coinciding with Zapad 2025, a joint military exercise planned between Russian and Belarusian forces.

“Ask your intelligence what Russia is planning this summer in Belarus,” Zelenskyy told reporters on Monday during a visit to Vilnius, Lithuania.

Franak Viačorka, chief political adviser to Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, told Newsweek that the upcoming drills could pose a threat to the West.

Although Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has consistently refused to send troops into Ukraine, he has allowed Russian forces to be stationed on Belarusian soil and to launch offensives from there.

Zelenskyy urged Western nations to gather intelligence on the exercises, which are scheduled for September.

Viačorka, who took part in military drills over a decade ago during his national service, warned that the planned scenarios often simulate attacks on Western countries.

“These are hostile scenarios. They do it primarily to threaten. It’s a part of psychological and informational warfare,” he said on Tuesday.

(QG - Source: Newsweek — Picture : © Unsplash)