Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Russia is seeking to further involve Belarus in its war in Ukraine and is considering plans to attack northern Ukraine or a NATO member state from Belarusian territory, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
"We continue to register attempts by Russia to involve Belarus more seriously in the war against Ukraine", Zelensky wrote on the Telegram app after a meeting with military and intelligence officials.
He said Kiev had information about recent contacts between Russia and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is being persuaded by Moscow to join a "new Russian offensive".
"Russia is considering plans for operations in the south and north of Belarus - both in the Chernigov-Kiev direction, and against one of the NATO countries, directly from Belarusian territory," the Ukrainian head of state pointed out.
To the south, Belarus borders Ukraine, and to the west and north with NATO member states Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.
Lukashenko, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest allies, provided the territory of his country to Russian troops who invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Reuters recalls, adding that so far Minsk has not sent military personnel to fight on Moscow's side against Kiev.