What’s happening on Belarus’s borders with Ukraine and NATO?

For months, tensions near Belarus’s borders have been rising. Belarus sits next to Ukraine and three NATO members: Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. Reports now suggest Russia is considering using Belarusian soil for military moves—not just against Ukraine, but possibly against a NATO country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy recently shared intelligence showing Russia is trying to pull Belarus further into the war. He claims Moscow is pushing Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to join new attacks, either in northern Ukraine or directly into a NATO nation. Zelenskiy didn’t give details, but he says Ukraine is already tracking talks between Russia and Belarus about these plans.Belarus has allowed Russia to store nuclear weapons and advanced missiles on its land before. Lukashenko, a close ally of Putin, let Russian troops enter Ukraine from Belarus in 2022—but he hasn’t sent Belarusian soldiers to fight. Now, with these new threats, Ukraine is preparing defenses in the north, especially near Chernihiv and Kyiv. Zelenskiy warned that if Lukashenko sides with Russia’s plans, Ukraine won’t hesitate to respond. He’s ordered troops to get ready, just in case. So far, neither Russia nor Belarus has commented on these claims. But the situation remains tense, with Belarus caught between alliances and war.