Russia performs military drills in Belarus, Ukraine and NATO on edge

Russia, under a program of joint military exercises with Belarus, has sent around 15 divisions, or 150,000 troops, to it. To many, there is a significant danger, considering the fact that Russia used Belarus as a launching point for its invasion three years ago. Both Ukraine and NATO have fears that Russia will plan to re-escalate the war by bringing it closer to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. In the early stages of the war, Russia used the proximity of Kyiv to the Belarusian border to attempt to seize the capital. Due to this, Belarus-Ukraine relations have tanked even further. Belarus has declared itself neutral in the conflict, but Ukraine and NATO disagree, with Belarus being slapped with sanctions alongside Russia. With this coming at a time when Ukraine is pushing for peace talks, it will likely make an already tense process even more difficult.