Belarusian troops are likely to join Russian troops invading Ukraine, said a US intelligence official quoted by AP. According to him, “it could happen as early as Monday.”
The source said that Alexander Lukashenko’s decision to include Belarusian troops in the conflict depends on the results of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations. Due to the sensitivity of the information provided, this person spoke anonymously.
The role of Belarus in the war in Ukraine
As the PA notes, Belarus has not yet taken part in the war in Ukraine, but experts emphasize that without the Belarusian base, an attack on Kyiv from many directions would be impossible. In addition, Iskander missiles were launched from the territory of Belarus towards Ukraine on Sunday. Adviser to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Anton Gerashchenko, said that the missiles were aimed at the airport in Zhytomyr.
Russian forces have faced heavy resistance from Ukrainian defenders, and the Americans believe the invasion will be more difficult and slower than the Kremlin originally envisioned. At the same time, it is emphasized that over time the situation may change.
Peace talks on the border with Belarus
On Monday morning, a delegation of representatives of the Ukrainian government left for the Belarusian-Ukrainian border to hold peace talks with Russia.
Yesterday it was announced about the meeting of the Ukrainian and Russian delegations on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. However, as it was written, the Ukrainian delegation needs time to get to the appointed meeting place. Probably, the postponement of the meeting was also influenced by reports of missile launches from the territory of Belarus. Earlier, Russia offered to hold peace talks not on the border, but on the territory of Belarus. The Ukrainian authorities refused, emphasizing that the Lukashenka regime is a party to the conflict.