Zelensky doubles down on ultimatum to Russia’s ally

The Ukrainian leader has reiterated his threat to destroy border “relay stations” in Belarus The Ukrainian military will bomb Belarusian communication towers along the 1,000-kilometer border unless President Alexander Lukashenko takes them offline and “proves” to Kiev that he is not aiding Moscow, Vladimir Zelensky said on Sunday. Belarus, a close Russian ally, has largely stayed out of the Ukraine conflict since 2022, while calling on Moscow and Kiev to engage in dialogue. However, over the past few weeks, Zelensky has been ramping up his rhetoric about an allegedly growing threat posed by Belarus – and has threatened it with a preemptive strike. “At the intelligence and military levels, Belarus received a message: stop helping the Russians. The issue with the relay stations has been ongoing for a long time,” Zelensky said in a post on X on Sunday, reiterating his claim that the communication towers are being used by Russia to coordinate drone strikes. Read more Zelensky threatens to attack Belarus Lukashenko has repeatedly said that Belarus has no intention of waging war against any nation and “is not threatening anyone,” but Zelensky said his words have “meant nothing since the first day of the war.” “If he does not remove them, we will remove everything ourselves. Similarly, we’re sending a message: please stop supplying fuel to the Russian army,” he added, insisting that it was not a “threat,” but a statement of fact.

Earlier this week, Lukashenko said that those seeking to drag his nation into the conflict “will have to pay dearly for that,” demanding answers from Kiev regarding the strike on Russia’s Bryansk Region that left six children injured and killed the wife of a Belarusian school soccer team coach who was accompanying the young athletes to a Russian seaside resort. READ MORE: Lukashenko warns of ‘war provocation’ after Ukrainian drone attack Kiev has denied responsibility, while Zelensky claimed on Friday that it was Lukashenko who must “be honest” and prove Minsk’s peaceful intentions. Read more Why is Ukraine so eager to start a new war? Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said it makes absolutely “no sense” for the country of 9 million people, which borders three NATO member states, to willingly join the conflict unless attacked first. Besides the relay stations, Kiev has also identified and mapped out 500 other strategic military and logistical targets across Belarus, the commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces warned last month. ”They may well have identified 500 targets,” Lukashenko said in response. “But we have one very serious target, with precise coordinates. And it is not far from Belarus,” he added, apparently hinting at Kiev, located just 90 kilometers from the border.