Zelenskiy says Belarus should remove equipment used in attacks on Ukraine in one week
Main Developments and Reactions
Zelenskiy's Ultimatum to Belarus
June 19 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that a week should be enough for Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to remove equipment from his country used by Russia in its attacks on Ukraine, adding a threat of Ukrainian action if Lukashenko did not do so.
Zelenskiy said signal relay stations were located in two Belarusian regions bordering Ukraine that were used by Russian forces to help with steering during attacks on Ukrainian civilians. Reuters could not verify his claims independently.
Direct Statements from Zelenskiy
"What's the point of saying he (Lukashenko) doesn't want to be in the war? Let him remove this equipment, let him switch it off. I think a week will be enough for him to do that," Zelenskiy told a news conference in Kyiv.
"If he doesn't do it, we'll do it," he said, without elaborating.
Belarus's Role in Supplying Russia
Zelenskiy also alluded to Belarus's oil refining industry, saying it had become a major supplier for Moscow and that Lukashenko could put a stop to it.
"Today he is the main supplier, or one of the main suppliers, for the Russian army. Specifically, Lukashenko, specifically Belarus," he said. "Can this be stopped? I’m sure it’s within his power. And he’s the one controlling it."
Ukraine's Pressure on Russian Oil Sector
Ukraine has been intensifying its attacks on the Russian oil sector as part of efforts to put pressure on Russia's war capability after more than four years of conflict.
Zelenskiy's Warnings on Belarus
ZELENSKIY'S WARNINGS ON BELARUS
Zelenskiy has in recent months warned that Russia plans to draw Minsk more deeply into its war in Ukraine. Russian forces used Belarusian territory to launch attacks when they first invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Belarus's International Standing and Political Prisoners
Belarus has long been shunned by Western countries over its human rights record, including the detention of hundreds of opponents that the opposition says are political prisoners.
Lukashenko has been releasing groups of jailed opponents as part of a process of improving ties with the United States.
Reactions from the Belarusian Opposition
Statements from Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main Belarusian opposition leader, said Zelenskiy's forthright comments were the best way to deal with Lukashenko, who has held power since 1994.
"Ukraine is showing today how dictators should be dealt with — only from a position of strength. And Ukraine has that strength," Tsikhanouskaya said in a statement.
"If Lukashenko truly wants peace, he must prove it through actions, not words. He must stop all support for Russian aggression, end Belarus’s involvement in the war, and stop serving as an instrument of the Kremlin. He must release political prisoners and start genuine dialogue with Belarusian people."
Background on Tsikhanouskaya
Tsikhanouskaya has lived in exile since losing to Lukashenko in a 2020 presidential election that opponents and Western countries say was rigged. Thousands of protesters were detained after the poll.
Lukashenko's Position and Recent Developments
Lukashenko's Statements on the War
Last month, Lukashenko dismissed any notion that Minsk would be dragged further into the war but said that, together with Russia, it would defend itself in the event of aggression.
In an interview this week with Al Arabiya television, he said Ukraine had nothing to fear from Belarus and that both sides had to compromise to end the war.
Recent Incidents and Military Cooperation
Russia accused Ukraine this week of a fatal drone attack on a bus carrying Belarusian children through Russia. Kyiv denied it was responsible. A woman accompanying the children was killed and eight people, including six children, were injured in the incident. Belarus' Foreign Ministry said it had demanded "complete explanations" from Ukraine.
Minsk has remained Moscow's staunchest supporter during the war. Russian drones have crossed Belarus while attacking Ukraine, and Minsk said it has deployed the Russian Oreshnik intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile system. The two countries also held nuclear drills in May.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka in Gdansk; Additional reporting by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Ron Popeskiand Franklin Paul)
