Belarus' exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has issued a stark warning about escalating tensions on Europe's eastern flank, claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin is using Belarus as a puppet state to move nuclear missiles toward the European Union border amid Russia's war in Ukraine.
In an urgent appeal from the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference this week, Tsikhanouskaya urged the continent to pay "more attention to what is happening." She described Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko as facilitating Russia's aggression by allowing Putin to intensify Moscow's military presence on Belarusian territory.
Tsikhanouskaya, who claims to be the president-elect after declaring victory in Belarus' 2020 election—only to flee the country alleging the outcome was rigged—highlighted the imminent threat of nuclear deployment. "We see how on Belarusian territory, Mr Lukashenko’s regime intensifies the presence of Russia. They are about to deploy nuclear weapons [to Belarus], Russian missiles," she stated.
She further accused Belarus of playing a pivotal role in bolstering Russia's war machine, noting that "about 300 Belarusian enterprises" are aiding Moscow's production efforts, including the construction of new drone facilities.
"So it looks like they’re preparing for escalation," Tsikhanouskaya added, according to The Telegraph, raising alarms about the potential for broader conflict as Putin leverages his alliance with Lukashenko to pressure the EU.
The warnings come as fears of a wider war intensify, with Belarus positioned as a key staging ground for Russian operations near the EU's borders, underscoring the deepening military ties between Minsk and Moscow in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
