Belarusian Prez Lukashenko may have accidentally revealed Russia's plans to invade Moldova
When he launched his troops, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the operation in Ukraine was a "peacekeeping effort", something we know is a lie. Putin has never explicitly said whether he plans to go further than the neighboring nation, but a live TV broadcast from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko hints that he just might. While addressing officials as rumors continued to grow it could officially join the war, Lukashenko hinted that forces could target another European nation.
Russia has already made it quite clear that it will threaten and coerce anyone who gets in its way. In his speech announcing the invasion, Putin said anyone who interfered would face consequences, which most took to mean NATO and the US. Then on February 26, Russia threatened Sweden and Finland with "military and political consequences" if the countries joined NATO. With Ukraine's defiant resistance, the Russian leader has also put his nuclear forces on alert, indicating he might use the last-ditch option if the fight continues.
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The saber-rattling and threats have left NATO and the US on edge for days, as concerns continue to mount that Putin could expand his conquest to more European nations. Those fears appeared to be confirmed by none other than Lukashenko, a close ally of Putin who appears to have joined the invasion of Ukraine.
Russia's next target revealed
On March 1, Lukashenko was addressing his security officials in front of a battle map. The meeting was shown on a local TV channel. The map appeared to show how Russian troops would move across Ukraine, some of which have been seen over the past few days, including the attempt to encircle Ukrainian capital Kyiv. The map also indicated plans that were yet to be put into action, such as the invasion of Moldova from the Ukrainian city of Odesa.
The Moldovan region of Transnistria is already under Russian control with around 1,500 to 2,000 soldiers in the area. Like with the Donbas region of Ukraine, and northern Georgia, it appears that Putin has laid the groundwork in Moldova for a full-scale invasion through control of a breakaway region. Lukashenko's map indicated that was exactly the plan, with images showing Russian troops sweeping through the Transnistria region from Odesa and taking over a significant portion of the Moldova-Ukraine border.
Situated on Ukraine's west, between the nation and Romania, Moldova is another former Soviet nation with a current population of over 2.6 million. Since war broke out in Ukraine, it has emerged as a key escape route for refugees as the borders of Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary are all blocked by the sheer numbers of those fleeing. Critically, Moldova is not a member of NATO or the EU, meaning that the nation, like Ukraine, has few options should it be invaded.
The fears Moldova could be targeted have been escalated in recent days, after Ukraine confirmed "significant helicopter activity" on February 25 in the city of Tiraspol, the biggest city of the Transnistria region. Lukashenko's reveal could increase those fears, but for now, it appears the nation is not preparing for war. Moldova's deputy prime minister admitted the country was in a "very risky zone" but added he did not expect an invasion. For now, Putin's plans for the rest of Europe are being held back by the strong Ukrainian defense. However, if Russia breaks through, it appears that the conflict could very easily spiral further.
