Europe is on the brink of war after 8,000 Russian soldiers crossed the border into Belarus, according to an expert. The conflict in Ukraine could be set to spread further - according to Mykola Volkivskyi, Former Advisor to the Chairman of the Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament, and president of the First International Ukrainian Foundation of Development.
8,000 mercenaries linked to the private military contractor Wagner relocated to Belarus after their leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, staged an insurrection by sending troops towards Moscow. But now, with the troops in Belarus, that could spark another conflict, and the movement of nuclear weapons, according to Mykola.
He said: "The transfer of tactical nuclear weapons to Minsk fits into this scheme." Poland announced this weekend that they are deploying additional police personnel to its border with Belarus to strengthen security, Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said on Sunday.
Euronews reported that several countries, including Latvia, have reached out to NATO for help securing their borders, fearing the chaos that Wagner's mercenaries could bring, reports The Mirror.
"That is why Polish politicians are now talking about possible threats and the need to strengthen Poland's border, especially the one bordering Belarus.
"Before that, the fence on the Polish side had already been erected. The common border between Poland and Belarus is 398.6 kilometres long," adds Volkivskyi. "In my opinion, the West did not expect the efficiency and speed with which the two sides reached a 'peaceful consensus.'"
The next NATO summit is being held next week in Vilnius, which is just 30km from Belarus.
"We keep a very wary eye on everything that occurs in Belarus with [Wagner chief Yevgeny] Prigozhin there and an unknown number of very trained and skilled fighters who presumably will be joining him," Latvian Prime Minister Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš told reporters upon arrival at a two-day summit of EU leaders in Brussels.
"That does potentially pose a threat. The threat would probably not be a frontal military threat, but the threat of attempted infiltration into Europe for unknown purposes. So that means we need to heighten our border awareness and make sure that we can control that," he added.
Politico reported that NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, said "that only a few of his mercenaries have ended up there." In an interview with the news outlet on Wednesday, the "defensive alliance leader said Wagner forces do remain active in Africa and away from the frontline in Ukraine but that not many have arrived in Belarus."
This leaves many countries in a difficult position - as Wagner's forces are scattered around the world, they may use their position and proximity to cause chaos in other places, from flying in African and Middle-Eastern migrants to stage an artificial border crisis, or something less official but worse, since these soldiers are known for being hardened criminals that are recruited straight out of prison.
Dr Precious Chatterje-Doody, a Lecturer in Politics and International Studies at Open University, UK said: "Russian military morale was already low and this will have certainly damaged it further – not just amongst the rank and file but also amongst the top brass who have basically been made to look like fools."
