Likelihood of Belarus army’s participation in Russia's war on Ukraine remains low - ISW

This is stated in the latest report of the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrinform reports.

American analysts believe that during yesterday's surprise visit to Minsk, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu once again tried to convince President Alexandr Lukashenko to deploy Belarusian troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine.

"Shoigu likely met with (Belarus Defense Minister Viktor - ed.) Khrenin and Lukashenko in an attempt to place pressure on Belarus to further support Russia’s offensive campaign in Ukraine. ISW has previously assessed that Belarus is highly unlikely to enter the war in Ukraine due to domestic factors that constrain Lukashenko’s willingness to do so," the report says.

The analysts also believe that Russia seeks negotiations in order to gain an operational pause in hostilities to alleviate the growing political pressure on the Kremlin and prepare its troops for new offensive operations against Ukraine.