Kadyrov himself threatened Poland on multiple occasions last year. The EU commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has pledged greater support for Poland, Lithuania and Latvia to police the border. After Ukraine, if we're given the command, in six seconds we'll show you what we're capable of, Kadyrov said of potentially attacking Poland in May of last year. Top officials in Belarus, a key Russian ally, are growing increasingly on edge this week about what they see as provocationsand warning that they might soon be forced into a harsh response. Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 427 of the invasion Belarus Is Inching Toward Invading Ukraine Signs are growing that an invasion from the north could be imminent. The Russian Incursion No One Is Talking About - The Atlantic More than 30,000 Russian troops gathered in Belarus in February under the guise of partaking in joint training exercises. Russia does not accept that Ukraine and Belarus can choose their own ways of development, she told The Irish Times on Monday. Since then, the country has maintained close economic and political ties with Russia. Still, so far the scale of human . Now, Belarus is embracing Russias interest in placing nuclear weapons in Belarus and the return of nuclear forces to its country. March 31 (Reuters) - President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday that . She wants the West to impose tougher sanctions on pro-regime businesses and entrepreneurs, to show members of the Belarusian elite that there is no future with Lukashenko and to ensure that officials know that they will have to answer for their crimes against the people. In August 2021, following a sudden influx of refugees coming from Belarus, Poland deployed 15,000 troops to guard the eastern frontier with Belarus. [9], On 6 July 2022, scant months after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine caused the announcement by the Morawiecki government of a major increase in funding for the Polish armed forces,[10] the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus noticed that Poland "has already repeatedly displayed its imperial ambitions and, with a support from the [US] White House, positions itself as a leader, not only in Eastern, but in Central Europe as well. A state that is capable, in case of an attack on its territory, to respond with tactical nuclear weapons," Azaronak said. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced last week that Moscow would complete the construction of a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus by the beginning of July. But Lukashenko himself appears to be bandwagoning on the idea that Ukraine and neighboring countries are acting out of turn right now. Belarus warns of plans to invade as nuclear weapons talks with Russia Poland, the EU, Nato and others all blame Belarus for intentionally sparking the crisis by allowing people who want to come to the EU from the Middle East and Africa to travel to Minsk, then. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. And they must understand this We will stop at nothing, protecting our countries, our states and their peoples, the Belarusian leader was quoted as saying by state media BELGA. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Relations were further strained on Feb. 8 when a Belarusian court sentenced a journalist of Polish origin to eight years in prison in a trial Warsaw said was politically motivated. The threats echoed the way Russia staged attacks against its own troops early this year in order to claim a reason to invade Ukraine. Having invaded Ukraine and deployed its troops in a compliant Belarus, Russia has suddenly extended its military power to the borders of several NATO countries, including the Baltic nations . After spending several summer holidays in Co Tipperary during her youth, Ms Tsikhanouskaya returns to receive recognition of her fight for democracy in Belarus, where she is widely believed to have beaten veteran dictator Alexander Lukashenko in a 2020 presidential election.