Belarus Takes Center Stage as Tensions Mount in Eastern Europe

Russia–Belarus wargames and this month’s drone incursion in Poland have put NATO on high alert.

A French Air Force mechanic checks a MICA medium-range missile system installed on a Rafale fighter jet at an air base in Minsk Mazowiecki, on Sept. 17, 2025, as part of the Eastern Sentry mission, following Warsaw's accusation that Moscow launched a drone raid into Poland. Thibaud Moritz/AFP via Getty Images

Tension has been mounting between Russia-allied Belarus and Eastern European NATO members, particularly Poland.

“The situation along NATO’s eastern flank is tense,” former U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza told The Epoch Times.