Putin visit to Belarus fuels worry of a new offensive

Leader of country miles from Kyiv one of only Russian allies in region

President Vladimir Putin of Russia made a rare visit to Belarus on Monday to strengthen his bond with the country’s president and his closest regional ally, Alexander Lukashenko, a fellow strongman who has been under growing pressure from Moscow to provide more support for the war in Ukraine.

Appearing together at a palace in Minsk after their talks, Putin and Lukashenko spoke about the need to withstand Western economic pressure. Putin said the two had also discussed the formation of a “unified defense space,” without describing what that would entail and had agreed to continue joint military exercises.

Putin’s visit took place as Russia continued its nighttime bombardment campaign against Ukraine’s power plants and other crucial infrastructure, deepening the country’s misery. And the trip seemed certain to escalate concerns in Kyiv about the possibility of a fresh ground offensive that could use Belarus as a launchpad.

Ukraine has repeatedly warned in recent days Russian forces could be preparing a new assault from Belarus aimed at trying once again to seize Kyiv, only about 55 miles from the Belarusian border, or at disrupting the flow of Western arms and aid into Ukraine from Poland.

Defense ministers from Russia and Belarus signed an unspecified agreement this month to strengthen military ties, and Belarus said last week it was checking the combat readiness of its troops. The last time it did that was just days before Russia invaded Ukraine from its territory.

Putin continues to use Belarus to train and supply his battered forces in Ukraine.

Lukashenko has been almost wholly reliant on Putin since the Russian leader helped crush street protests that erupted in Belarus in August 2020 after Lukashenko declared an improbable landslide victory in a contested election. He depends on Russia for financial, fuel and security assistance to maintain his 28-year grip on power.

Some military analysts have said a flurry of military activity in Belarus, including the arrival of thousands of Russian troops ostensibly for training, could be part of an elaborate ruse aimed at forcing Ukraine to divert troops to the north from active fronts in the east and south of the country.