Zelensky ultimatum to Lukashenko: Withdraw military equipment from the border or we will act

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has given Belarus' leader Alexander Lukashenko a one-week deadline to withdraw military equipment from the border with Ukraine.

He stated that these devices are being used to direct artillery fire against the Ukrainian population and warned that Kiev may take action if his demand is not met.

"I am giving Lukashenko a week to withdraw military equipment from the Ukrainian border, which is being used to direct artillery fire against the Ukrainian population. Otherwise, we will do it ourselves," the Ukrainian leader said.

Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has allowed Russian troops and equipment to use its territory at various stages of the conflict, particularly during the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities have warned several times that any direct threat from Belarusian territory could pose a new risk to the country's security.

There has been no official reaction from Minsk to Zelensky's statements so far. Tensions around the Ukrainian-Belarusian border remain one of the sensitive issues in the ongoing war in Ukraine.