Countries across the continent saw the warmest start to the year ever measured. The weather has forced ski resorts to close trails, with sparser than usual snow cover.
Belarus has resisted being drawn more centrally into the war. But the visit raised worries that a new Russian ground offensive could aim again at Kyiv, near the Belarusian border.
The United States and its allies are playing down the dangers posed by the deployment of thousands of Russian soldiers to Belarus, but the intelligence assessments come with a dose of uncertainty.
Explosions rocked Belgorod and the city of Donetsk on Sunday, signaling that the mayhem unleashed by Russia’s invasion is spreading far beyond the front lines.