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The US and NATO imagine that Belarus may “quickly” be a part of Russia in its warfare towards Ukraine, US and NATO officers inform CNN, and that the nation is already taking steps to take action.
It’s more and more “possible” that Belarus will enter the battle, a NATO navy official stated on Monday.
“Putin wants assist. Something would assist,” the official defined.
A Belarusian opposition supply stated that Belarusian fight items are prepared to enter Ukraine as quickly as the following few days, with 1000’s of forces ready to deploy. On this supply’s view, this can have much less of an impression militarily than it’s going to geopolitically, given the implications of one other nation becoming a member of the warfare.
A senior NATO intelligence official stated individually the alliance assesses that the Belarusian authorities “is getting ready the atmosphere to justify a Belarusian offensive towards Ukraine.”
Belarusians voted final month to permit the nation to host both Russian forces and nuclear weapons permanently, although US officers have emphasised to CNN that they haven’t but seen any proof of Russia shifting nuclear weapons or getting ready to.
The sources emphasised that there have been no indications thus far that Belarus is presently taking part within the preventing in Ukraine, and a senior US protection official stated the Pentagon had not seen “any indications that the Belarusians are getting ready to maneuver … into Ukraine or that they’ve made any agreements to do this.”
The NATO navy official stated {that a} last determination for Belarus’ involvement within the warfare nonetheless needs to be made in Moscow, and as of but, there was no indication that Belarusian forces are taking part within the preventing in Ukraine.
“It isn’t about what [Alexander] Lukashenko needs,” the official defined, referring to the Belarusian president. “The query is: Does Putin need one other unstable nation within the area?”
“Involvement would destabilize Belarus,” the official stated.
The official would not elaborate on how Belarus may intervene within the warfare, however stated it made sense for Russia to attempt to lower off NATO navy help coming into Ukraine from its Western border.
Extra background: Russia has been utilizing Belarus as a springboard for a lot of of its air operations in Ukraine, according to intelligence collected by NATO surveillance planes flying over the Polish-Ukrainian border and radar seen by CNN.
CNN’s Barbara Starr contributed reporting to this put up.
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