Rumors have it that Belarus might join the war – but Lukashenko is resisting.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Russia is now pressuring the Belarusian leader by reducing financial support, echoing earlier reports from the opposition in exile. But Lukashenko is said not to be caving, and reportedly even withdrew signal repeaters for Russian drones from the border after threats from Zelensky.
Belarus or not, Syrsky seems to be preparing for the worst, announcing new brigades to fortify the northern front.
It makes sense that Russia is trying to open a second front as Ukraine’s long-range strikes are wreaking havoc. Explosions were once again reported across occupied Crimea, while a refinery in Krasnodar was hit again for the second time in 10 days – now supposedly forcing Moscow to source gasoline from India and Kazakhstan, which is bad news for the world’s third-largest crude producer.
Now even Trump has called Zelensky “courageous” and said he’s “doing pretty well,” while a senior State Department official said he believes Ukraine is winning the war – Rubio also dismissed Russian claims of deals made in Alaska, which is a slight confidence boost for Kyiv in upcoming talks.
By Leo Chiu
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