Belarus is Massing Troops on the Border, and More.

Picture the scene. A large treat built up on Ukraine's northern border. Bornings from intelligence agencies that attack might be imminent, disbelief from analysts who are all too aware that the forces assembled for the invasion are too small to be up to the task.

Now, this is not a retro report we're filing from early 2022 on the eve of Russia's full-scale invasion. Instead, it's a snapshot of how things look at the end of summer 2024, only this time it's not Russia that's building its forces up on the borders of Ukraine, but Belarus.

A nominally independent state, Belarus has, in effect, been a vassal for Vladimir Putin's ambitions ever since Moscow propped up its leader, Alexander Lukashenko, in the face of mass protests following a rigged election in 2020.