Russia used Belarussian airspace to launch missiles at Ukraine reportedly. This could bring Belarus into the war, which is very unpopular there. That in turn could threaten Lukashenko’s rule there if civil unrest breaks out, and Russia would need to send troops to Belarus to prop him up.
All this is correct and important, but still, why a midnight Kremlin meeting for Russia immediately? What’s so urgent that it can’t wait until morning?
That in turn could threaten Lukashenko’s rule there if civil unrest breaks out,
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FWIW: There was a rumor that if Putin came to Belarus to met with Lukashenko, he would never return to Russia ...