Concerns mount that Belarus could be a launchpad for a new Russian offensive in Ukraine

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By YURAS KARMANAU
Updated 11:03 PM CDT, May 30, 2026

Over four years ago, Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko allowed longtime ally Russia to use his territory to invade Ukraine. Now officials in Kyiv are warning that Lukashenko could again allow his land to serve as a launchpad for more attacks by the Kremlin’s forces.

While Belarus has not contributed troops to battle, Lukashenko has backed President Vladimir Putin’s war effort by hosting Russia’s nuclear weapons and military infrastructure, as well as producing components for Moscow’s military industries. Earlier this month, the countries held joint drills of nuclear forces involving Russian weapons deployed in Belarus.

Lukashenko, in power for over three decades, has ruled the nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist, relentlessly cracking down on dissent and relying on its close ties with Russia, as well as subsidies from the Kremlin’s coffers, to counteract repeated Western sanctions.

Military cooperation between Moscow and Minsk is increasingly worrying Ukraine’s allies.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/russia-belarus-ukraine-war-lukashenko-putin-zelenskyy-1c084e433e7caa8503a92396b46c6538

[Irish_Dem]

1. If Ukraine's allies are worried, perhaps they should step up their assistance.

[OAITW r.2.0]

3. I think so too. Poland shares a birder with Belarus and Ukraine. They have a real interest in what happens

in their region.

[Irish_Dem]

4. If Poland doesn't wake up soon, they will be next in line for Putin's land grab.

[OAITW r.2.0]

6. Poland and the Baltic States are totally woke.

They've been paying attention since 2022.

[Irish_Dem]

8. Then why are they allowing Ukraine to be annihilated and the war

going into its fifth year.

Europe is being very foolish.

[manicdem]

7. Poland is one of Ukraines biggest supporters already

They've made large contributions of military weapons and ammunition along with taking care of their refugees. They are one of NATO's largest military spenders, 5% of GDP on defense, and they do a lot of military training. They are well aware of the threat for a long time and remember what happened in WWII.

[OAITW r.2.0]

2. Ukraine is ready, but Lukashenko probably doesn't want to send his untested troops

into Ukraine. The border is fortified and Ukraine's drone tech will overwhelm Belarus. At the 1st moment of Belarussian aggression, Ukraine starts taking down the Belarus air defense. Then Belarus citizens might have other plans.

[msongs]

5. all to appease the massive narcissistic n sociopathic egos of a few old men

[duckworth969]

9. Poland unilaterally responds without NATO

I get the feeling that Poland will flex on the russkies soon. They’ve been clear about defending themselves sans NATO if necessary.

[ChicagoTeamster]

10. Good. Let Russia split their forces. Ukraine is ready and so are their European allies. Russia will lose more.

Russia is already short on young workers and they're using old tanks and armored fighting vehicles in Ukraine. Their only tactic is to try and bomb Ukraine into submission and threaten their European allies. Finland, Sweden, Poland, England, France, and Germany combined have more economic and military power than Russia. Russia is simply calculating that they can drag out the war long enough because they have more people and old military equipment to throw at the meatgrinder while Ukraine is actually trying to survive and is using autonomous weapons systems to conserve on troop exposure. Russia's bombing of cities is a terror tactic to counter Ukraine's economy of force by creating losses elsewhere. Ukraine is countering by increasing destruction of Russian infrastructure to impede their logistics so that Russia's under-supplied and under-protected troops are easier to either capture or kill in large numbers while minimizing Ukrainian losses.

[tazcat]

11. Ukraine is winning, and Putin is desperate as is Krasnov. They are flailing. Their end is near...