A NATO official tells reporters that Ukraine and Russia are heading toward a devastating stalemate, and Belarus may soon actively enter the war to help give Russia an upper hand.
The official says Russia has made barely any gains in the last two weeks, but President Vladimir Putin is expected to dig in, rather than retreat.
“The reality is that neither side has a superiority over the other,” the official says. “So what happens when you have these two forces then grinding on each other in this way? The loss of life and the damage is going to be quite severe. Neither side here can win. Neither side will capitulate.”
A tank moves along a field during joint exercises of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus at a firing range near a town of Osipovichi outside Minsk on February 17, 2022. (Maxim GUCHEK / BELTA / AFP)
The official says Belarus, which already lets Russia use its territory for military bases, may ratchet up its engagement, and could even let Russia place nuclear weapons in the country.
“The Belarusian government is preparing the environment to justify a Belarusian offensive against Ukraine and the imminent deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus,” the official says.
The official adds that placing the nuclear weapons is not necessarily imminent, but the path to such a move already paved: “I’m not telling you they’re going to put nukes in there tomorrow. What I mean is they’ve taken steps politically to now be able to receive nuclear weapons if such a decision is made.”
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