President Alexander Lukashenko announced on Monday that Belarus will more actively support its Russian ally in the war against Ukraine. Analysts say Lukashenko is reluctant to send troops – especially since a wave of protests in 2020 exposed his immense unpopularity at home – but is likely caving to pressure from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Belarus has had only limited involvement in the war raging on its southern border since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Although President Alexander Lukashenko has allowed Russia to fire missiles from Belarusian territory since the early days of the conflict, he has remained mostly on the sidelines.
