Belarus

President Alexander Lukashenko has been sanctioned by the West for his firm backing of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

With Moscow-led war games about to kick off in Belarus, Minsk rejects calls by its NATO-aligned neighbors to send Wagner fighters back to Russia.

To be held in the first week of September, military drills come amid rising tension between Belarus—a key Russian ally—and three of the country’s NATO-aligned neighbors.

The U.S. State Department urges American citizens to “immediately” leave Belarus, a key Russian ally. The move follows weeks of mounting tensions between Belarus and three of its neighbors, all of which are foes of Russia and members of the Western NATO alliance.

Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu met with his Belarusian counterpart in Minsk to discuss strengthening bilateral ties. Gen Li’s trip, analysts say, may be intended to drive attention away from China’s real problem: its ailing economy.

Warsaw prepares to send more troops to the border of Belarus, which Russia describes as its ‘No. 1 ally.’ According to officials in Moscow and Minsk, Poland’s ongoing military buildup is part of a wider NATO plan to exert pressure on them.

Tensions between Poland and Belarus continue to mount after Warsaw accuses Minsk of violating its airspace. Belarus, for its part, accuses Poland of fabricating the incident for its own ends. Moscow, meanwhile, predicts further ‘discord’ between Warsaw and Kyiv following a rare spat between the two allies.

Over the course of the past month, Poland has sent hundreds of troops to positions near the Belarusian border. Warsaw says the deployments are in response to the recent arrival in Belarus of Wagner Group fighters. But Minsk and Moscow accuse Poland—a longstanding NATO member—of having ulterior motives.