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Putin Pressures Belarus to Open New Front Against Ukraine, WSJ Reports
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Russia has intensified pressure on Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to allow broader use of Belarusian territory for military operations against Ukraine and potential hybrid activities targeting NATO member states.
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According to The Wall Street Journal on June 24, the Kremlin has been pressing Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko since the beginning of 2026 to expand Minsk’s role in Russia’s war effort as Moscow seeks new ways to increase pressure on Ukraine amid slower battlefield gains in the east.
The newspaper, citing US and European officials, reported that Moscow is interested in using Belarusian territory for several purposes, including launching drones against Ukrainian targets, creating additional security challenges along Ukraine’s northern border, and forcing Kyiv to allocate military resources away from active combat zones in the east.
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According to The Wall Street Journal, Russian officials have also discussed the possibility of using Belarus as a platform for hybrid operations near NATO borders. The report states that Moscow may view such activities as a way to test Alliance responses and complicate Western support for Ukraine.
The newspaper noted that Russian drones have previously entered Polish airspace, and officials cited by The Wall Street Journal warned that similar incidents could become more frequent if Belarus becomes more deeply integrated into Russian military planning.
A central element of Moscow’s leverage over Minsk remains Belarus’ economic dependence on Russia. According to The Wall Street Journal, former intelligence officials said the Kremlin continues to use financial support and subsidies as a key instrument of influence over the Belarusian government.
The report identified Russian Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov as one of the main intermediaries in contacts between Moscow and Minsk. According to officials cited by The Wall Street Journal, Russia has signaled that financial assistance could be reduced or withdrawn if Belarus resists Kremlin demands.
The report comes as Kyiv has also increased pressure on Minsk over its support for Russia’s war effort. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently warned Belarus to remove infrastructure allegedly supporting Russian drone operations from its territory, stating that Ukraine would act independently if such facilities remained in place.
Kyiv has also accused Belarus of increasing fuel supplies to Russia. Ukrainian officials say exports of gasoline from Belarus to Russia rose significantly during the first five months of 2026 compared with the same period last year.
Belarus allowed Russian forces to use its territory during the initial phase of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, but Belarusian troops have not directly participated in combat operations in Ukraine. Since then, Minsk has sought to avoid direct involvement in the war while maintaining close political, military, and economic ties with Moscow.
Earlier, on June 22, the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, the country’s democratic opposition body led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, warned that Alexander Lukashenko’s regime may be preparing for direct involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine. The opposition cited military expansion, closer integration with Russian forces, new wartime legislation, and large-scale military exercises as indicators of potential preparations for entering the war.
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