Vladimir Putin has held talks with Belarusian ally Alexander Lukashenko as anxiety grows in the West over a possible Russian move against Nato, following an urgent “warning” trip to Moscow by CIA director John Ratcliffe.
The Russian and Belarusian leaders were due to sit down today, with discussions expected to center on what they have described as their shared challenge over Ukraine.
The high-stakes meeting follows weeks of mounting concern that the Kremlin could be weighing an attack on Nato territory — fears that may have been behind Ratcliffe’s unexpected flight to the Russian capital this week.
Reports last month claimed Putin was considering a limited armed incursion into Poland, in what analysts suggested could be an attempt to intimidate the Western alliance into scaling back its strong support for Ukraine nearly four years after Russia’s illegal invasion began.
On Friday, Lukashenko met Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Moscow, where the Belarusian president said the war would be on the agenda, according to Turkish media reports.
“Looking ahead, today we’ll also discuss our common problem, which we’re facing in southern Belarus and western Russia. It’s a real problem, but we’ll solve it, no matter how much some people might want it,” Lukashenko said.
Lukashenko and Putin are expected to continue their discussions on Ukraine during their summit on Saturday.
Their face-to-face meeting comes as Polish President Donald Tusk warned that “the escalation from Russia’s side is progressing” and said “the next six months will be decisive.”
Vladimir Putin (right) has met with his henchman from Belarus Alexander Lukashenko (left) amid growing fears of an attack on Nato
The Russian and Belarusian presidents were to meet today and were expected to discuss their ‘common problem’ of Ukraine
Mr Tusk posted after speaking to Nato General Secretary Mark Rutte: ‘As I have been warning, the escalation from Russia’s side is progressing.
‘Ukraine needs greater air support, which is also crucial for our security.
‘This is a task for all of Europe. The next six months will be decisive, and we must be prepared as Poland and NATO for various scenarios.
‘We cannot rule out provocations from Russia against one of NATO’s members.
Just last week CIA director John Ratcliffe flew to Moscow to warn Putin against any attack on a Nato country.
An American jet landed in the city on Tuesday, sparking frenzied speculation about who was on board.
The jet left Riga, Latvia, at around 8.50am Moscow time (1.50am ET, 6.50am BST) and landed just outside the Russian capital approximately 74 minutes later.
The flight’s arrival was highly unusual given the current tensions between Washington and Moscow.
Both the Kremlin and the CIA declined to comment on the visit, but it is understood to be the first such trip to Russia for Mr Ratcliffe since his appointment.
The journey sparked alarm in the West as commentators drew parallels between it and the previous warning trip to Moscow by then-CIA director William Burns in November 2021.
It is the last publicly known director-level visit to the country and took place as the US warned Russia against invading Ukraine.
This time, the trip comes amid escalating tensions around fears of an attack on Nato, thought to be centred around Poland.
A Russian missile entered Polish airspace and crashed in July, prompting Warsaw and the bloc to activate air and ground defenses and scramble aircraft.
Nato chief Rutte called the episode ‘another reckless act by Russia’ and a dangerous consequence of its war against Ukraine.
It followed previous Russian airspace violations that have fueled fears in Warsaw that Moscow is testing the bloc’s defenses and willingness to respond.
It comes after CIA director John Ratcliffe (pictured) flew out to Russia earlier this week
The US aircraft, flying under the call sign RCH4555, left the NATO country at around 8.50am Moscow time (1.50am ET, 6.50am BST) and landed in the Russian capital roughly 74 minutes later
Sources close to Polish President Karol Nawrocki told news outlet Onet that the US had been warning Warsaw about the plan for a while.
Russia’s plan aims to start a crisis to scare Western nations into stopping their support for Ukraine.
Polish security experts also warned that Russia and Belarus might send a small number of troops across the Nato border.
Power stations could also be targeted in the incursion, through air strikes that would force Poland to activate its air defence systems.
According to Polish sources cited by Onet, Russia could frame a territorial incursion as either a GPS navigation error or an emergency helicopter recovery.
Moscow’s strategy relies on the assumption that the US would compel Poland to negotiate rather than engage militarily.
According to sources, a ground-based attack could come from Kaliningrad – which borders northern Poland – or from Belarus to the east.
The warnings come as reports today suggest Putin is considering a last-ditch attempt to gain overt military supremacy in Ukraine.
He is said to be considering enlisting 300,000 new troops to plough into Russia’s ‘meat-grinder’ frontline against Ukrainian soldiers, as well as increasing sabotage tactics against Nato.
This could include an expansion of electronic warfare such as attacks on GPS signals, Russian military specialist Keir Giles told the Sun.
