Zelensky ultimatum to Belarus: You have a week to remove broadcasting stations that support Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has given Belarus a one-week ultimatum to remove broadcasting equipment on its territory that he says is helping Russia attack Ukraine, warning that otherwise Kiev will intervene itself to stop the broadcasts.

In a social media post on Friday evening, Zelensky directly asked his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, to "remove those devices."

"I think a week is enough for him to do this. ... If he doesn't do it, we will," Zelensky said.

Zelenskyy added that "Russia will continue to push it further into this war," but that the Belarusian president now "understands that Ukraine will respond."

Kiev's pressure on Minsk is not limited to relay devices that, according to Zelenskyy, "regulate fire on our people," reports Politico.

The Ukrainian leader also criticized Lukashenko for his country's oil refining sector, arguing that "today, Belarus is one of the main suppliers for the Russian military."

This is not the first time that Kiev has denounced Russia's use of Belarusian territory to launch attacks against Ukraine or countries that support it.

Zelensky warned in mid-May that Moscow was “considering plans for operations in the south and north of Belarusian territory” either against Ukraine “or against one of the NATO countries.”

Belarus' support for Russian President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been documented since the early stages of the war, when Moscow's forces used Belarusian territory to launch missile and drone attacks against Ukraine.

But Belarus did not deploy its own troops, a move that would have made it a direct participant in the conflict.

Russia's recent alleged plans to attack Ukraine from Belarusian territory prompted Kiev to strengthen defenses along its northern border, including concrete barriers to stop armored vehicles and anti-tank ditches, according to the Guardian.

Lukashenko said in an interview with Al Arabiya on June 15 that Belarus poses no threat to Ukraine. He also apologized to Zelensky for his previous comments. “But when I started being threatened, I had to respond,” Lukashenko said.

The GeoPost