Zelenskyy has given Lukashenko week to dismantle relay stations for "shaheds": otherwise, we will do it ourselves
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the ‘apology’ from the Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko and gave Minsk one week to remove the equipment used by the Russians to direct attacks on Ukraine –– otherwise Kyiv would do so itself.
The president made this announcement during a joint press conference with Honduran President Nasry Asfura in Kyiv on 19 June, reports Censor.NET, citing Suspilne and Liga.
Reaction to Lukashenko’s "apology"
"Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko is the leader of Belarus. [It is] a country that is our neighbour. Border security is very important to us. He understands perfectly well… we’re grown-ups, aren’t we? Nobody takes offence simply at words, personal remarks. If my country is insulted – we’ll take offence and we won’t forget it. But if it’s just personal matters… he’s apologised – and thank God for that, let’s put it that way," Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy believes that Moscow will now continue to "push" Lukashenko into the war – and that Lukashenko currently realises Ukraine will respond. The President of Ukraine called on Lukashenko to withdraw the equipment the Russians are using to direct attacks on Ukraine.
"There are repeaters on his towers – Russian repeaters, Belarusian ones. What difference does it make to us? On his territory, along two regions bordering Ukraine, there is equipment directing fire at the Ukrainian population. Can he take that down? What’s the point of saying he doesn’t want to be at war? Let them switch off that equipment. I think a week will be enough for him to do this. If he doesn’t, we will," Zelenskyy said.
Fuel for Putin’s tanks: Minsk’s oil transit
The President also accused Belarus of supplying petroleum products to the Russian army.
"We are doing everything we can to ensure the Russians are unable to sell oil and, consequently, supply diesel and fuel to their army, because all of this is being used against us. Today, he is one of the main suppliers to the Russian army. It is Lukashenko himself; it is Belarus. Can this be stopped? I am confident that he has the power to do so and that he is the one in control," the President stated.
Fake news about an attack on the Bryansk region
The president also commented on the recent Russian disinformation campaign alleging that Ukraine had struck a bus carrying Belarusian children in the Bryansk region.
"Everyone has already acknowledged – both international experts and, I believe, the Russians too, albeit not openly – that this attack was not ours… The Russians will carry out many different provocations in order to drag the people of Belarus into this war," the head of state concluded.
What led up to this?
- As a reminder, on 17 June, Russian and Belarusian media outlets had previously reported on an alleged attack by a Ukrainian drone on a civilian bus in the Bryansk region of the Russian Federation. According to their reports, the bus was carrying a children’s football team from Gomel, which was travelling to a training camp in Gelendzhik.
- The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs played into Russian propaganda by immediately accusing Ukraine of a "terrorist attack". Minsk demanded an explanation from Kyiv.
- The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine officially refuted the false claims made by representatives of the Russian Federation and Belarus regarding the alleged strike by a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone on a bus carrying a Belarusian children’s football team in the Bryansk region, stating that these claims are untrue. During the period in question, the Armed Forces of Ukraine did not deploy UAVs against targets in the Bryansk region.
