Russian leader Vladimir Putin intends to drag Belarus into the war through an assassination attempt on President Alexsandr Lukashenko. The American study center Robert Lansing Institute writes it, citing sources from the Russian military leaders.
Upon returning from the summit of the CSTO military alliance in Yerevan, Putin allegedly gave orders to his military intelligence to prepare an attack against Lukashenko. Two scenarios are being studied by Gru. A false attempt to kill Lukashenko, with the aim of intimidating him and forcing him to go to war against Ukraine alongside Moscow, or else kill him. In the latter case, the general secretary of the CSTO, Stanislav Zas, described as loyal to the Kremlin and under the control of the GRU, would take over the leadership of the country. In both scenarios, ‘evidence’ of the involvement of the United States, Poland and Ukraine in the attack would be shown, to bring Minsk into the war alongside Moscow.
However, Moscow’s objective would be a merger of the two armies under the command of the Kremlin. Even if Lukashenko were to remain alive, he would effectively be disempowered, and the country would move towards a merger with Russia.