Russia Could Possibly Test NATO’s Eastern Flank This Summer: Expert Warns of Threats from Belarus

Political expert and serviceman Oleksandr Musiyenko stated that Putin is aware of Ukraine’s capabilities, but he could use Belarus to test NATO’s strength, reports Politeka.
He shared this in his blog.

“Regarding Belarus: indeed, the enemy is increasing certain activities there, but in my view, this activity is likely to be more directed against NATO countries, primarily Lithuania and Poland. Russia could possibly test the defense of NATO’s eastern flank this summer. It is no coincidence that Trump decided to deploy 5,000 American troops to Poland,” Musiyenko asserts.

As the expert notes, we see the weak position of certain NATO countries, which tell Ukraine not to launch drones or adjust targets, arguing over unknown UAVs in the Mediterranean, and Putin sees this weakness. Therefore, he might try to test the Baltic states and Poland for resilience. According to him, provoking an incident with NATO has long been a Kremlin plan that resurfaces periodically, and its goal is to pressure not only the U.S. but also Europe to exert influence on Ukraine.

In Slavutych, Zelensky correctly stated, the expert notes, that Ukraine is ready to act preventively. That is, he emphasizes, as soon as there is a concentration of troops on our northern borders, Ukraine will immediately strike the Mozyr Oil Refinery, key transit points, and logistics, so Belarus clearly understands who they are dealing with.

“But will Lithuania strike preventively? And Poland? That’s still an open question. With Ukraine, it’s already clear; we’ve shown everything. Analysis shows that out of 158 oil refineries in the European part of Russia, there isn’t a single one that wouldn’t be affected. The entire European part of Russia. So they understand that. But regarding Lithuania and Poland, the question is open. At the same time, it’s a chance to test air defense, capabilities, and so on,” concludes Oleksandr Musiyenko.