I think you mean further into the war. When you let one country use your country as a staging ground to invade another country you are in the war. I’m all for it by the way. Belarus has a Russian-sponsored minority government similar to what Ukraine had in 2014 before the people rose up against it. The Belarusian regime has a slippery hold on power and has been delicately balancing pleasing the Russians against preventing a massive uprising. If they try to tip into this war with armed forces, then more battles are likely to be fought on Belarusian soil between Belarusian than might ever translate to combat power against Ukraine. If Russia has to step in and keep the peace, then so much the better. Stretch them in yet another direction.
Think NATO would respond against Belarus if they got involved? Belarus is a lot different than Russia.
Russia's battle for Bakhmut is now described as having the potential to be a Pyrrhic victory at best, disaster at worst. Had they re-taken it shortly after they lost it, it would have been a significant victory, but they've given Ukraine several months to build fortified defenses west of Bakhmut, and any advances beyond the city will be difficult to impossible. Analysis-Russia's grim battle for Bakhmut may yield pyrrhic victory at best Wow. Even the Russians can acknowledge that their strategy is idiotic.
We might have to be careful bombing Belarus, because Putin might crap his pants if any Russian soldiers in Belarus get killed during the bombardment. I don't know if he would be stupid enough to consider using nukes because of an incidental death or two.
Not in the sense that you mean. Respond with more fist shaking and telling Belarus that their actions make us sad, maybe. Nothing meaningful.
Well, I have to ask then: in the event of Belarusian armed intervention, do you predict harsher action or merely harsher words than what I suggested? Because unless Jake Sullivan has been thrown out on his incompetent, weak ass since I started writing this post, the chances of us actually taking meaningful action against Belarus or anyone else are negligible.
I would hope for at least an increase in equipment and supplies to Ukraine. Maybe something long range?
Ukraine fires back at Russia, knocking out a power plant in Belgorod. Explosion sounds in Belgorod Oblast, Russia: part of Shebekino city lost power
Putin just got a new headache. Another domino falls against Russia: cell phone network providers Nokia and Ericsson are leaving Russia at the end of the year. (I don't know why they didn't do it sooner.) Telecommunications will not fall apart immediately, but will deteriorate over time. The battlefield will become much lonelier for Russia soldiers when they can't call their mommas and wives to discuss important topics like raping Ukrainian women and dealing with army idiocy. Russian mobile calls, internet seen deteriorating after Nokia, Ericsson leave It's a shame they can't take their hardware with them.
Another Putin lie (that there are plenty of people in eastern Ukraine sympathetic to Russia) is blown to hell. Russia is having trouble finding people (collaborators) willing to be administrators for areas that they have captured, so they are importing administrators from Russia. It almost seems like Russia is not welcome in eastern Ukraine. It is also possible that any potential collaborators are not convinced that the incompetent Russian army can hold on to captured territory. Russians bring officials from Novosibirsk to temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine I'm sure these people are completely terrified, knowing that they have a target on their backs and a weak military protecting them.
I hope for that already, whether Belarus tips in or not. In my opinion, though, Russia bringing in an another country to fight with troops in Ukraine represents an escalation that needs to be met more forcefully. Remember, the combat power that Belarus could actually project is not the issue; it’s the political power of an armed coalition on one side while Ukraine fights alone with material support only. If Russia can compel Belarus to fight, what if they bring in the other countries (Kazakhstan, North Korea et al) under their sphere of influence, and we still do nothing? At what point does China say, “[…] it! The best way to get this thing over with and normalize conquest is to tip in ourselves”? Do we still not escalate?
Suffice to say, by providing nuclear umbrella to Belarus, Moscow is both strengthening its deterrent capability against a western attack as well as enhance its second strike capability. This is by no means an impromptu decision. NATO nuclear compass rendered unavailing - Indian Punchline
Girkin fancies himself a romantic warrior but is Butthurt and perpetually ranting about being removed from theatre for being a loose cannon. Everything he says should be taken with a grain of salt. Wars aren’t prosecuted by romantic warriors. They’re prosecuted by governments and organizations.
I say lay about 1,000 megatons on them beyotches, the we will have some sadness............Belarussian sadness...........
More bad optics for Putin. While he is left to scrounge for support from Belarus (a fellow shit hole country), Zelenskyy is meeting with the leader of the free world, addressing Congress and snapping up $45B in military and economic aid - as a frame of reference Russias military spend in 2022 was $90B
