President Volodymyr Zelensky gave Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko one week to remove equipment on Belarusian territory that he said is helping direct Russian fire against Ukrainian civilians, warning that Ukraine would act if Minsk failed to do so.
Speaking during a joint press opportunity with Honduras President Nasry Asfura, Zelensky also reported positive signals from his G7 meeting with US President Donald Trump on strengthening Ukraine’s air defense and possible licenses for missile production in Ukraine.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
A one-week warning on the northern border
While dismissing personal rhetoric from Lukashenko, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine would respond to security threats coming from Belarusian territory.
“Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko is the head of a country that is our neighbor. Security on the border is very important for us,” Zelensky said.
He added that Kyiv would not focus on personal insults, but would not forget insults directed at Ukraine.
“If it is an insult to my country, then we will be offended and we will not forget. But if these are personal things, then thank God – he apologized,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky warned that Lukashenko risks dragging Belarus itself into Russia’s war.
“When Mr. Lukashenko says that he does not want to be drawn into this war, he must be honest with his own people,” the Ukrainian leader said. “It is not he who may be drawn into the war – his whole country may be drawn in.”
UN Security Council to Convene on Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Strike
‘If he does not do this, we will’
Zelensky said equipment located on Belarusian territory, including repeaters on towers along two border regions, is being used to direct fire against Ukrainian civilians.
“Today, on his towers, there are repeaters – Russian repeaters, Belarusian ones, what difference does it make to us?” Zelensky said. “On his territory, along two regions bordering Ukraine, there is equipment that directs fire against the Ukrainian population. Specifically against the population.”
He said there is no major active front in that area to justify such infrastructure.
Zelensky called on Lukashenko to remove or switch off the equipment within a week.
“Can he remove this? Why use words that he does not want war? Let him remove this equipment. Let him turn off this equipment,” Zelensky said. “I think a week will be enough for him to do this.”
He warned that Ukraine would act if Minsk failed to comply.
“Because now, every day because of this, our civilians are dying, children are being wounded,” Zelensky said. “If he does not do this, we will.”
Belarus fuel supplies
The Ukrainian president also pointed to Belarus’s role in supplying fuel to Russia’s military, comparing it to Ukraine’s broader campaign to disrupt oil and diesel flows used by Moscow’s army.
“The same applies to his oil-refining industry,” Zelensky said. “We are doing everything so that the Russians do not have the ability to sell oil and provide the corresponding diesel and oil to their army, because all of this is used against us.”
Zelensky described Belarus as one of the key suppliers sustaining Russia’s military.
“Today, he is the main supplier, or one of the main suppliers, for the Russian army. Specifically Lukashenko, specifically Belarus,” Zelensky said.
He added that Lukashenko has the power to stop such support.
“Can this be stopped? I am sure that it is within his power. And this is exactly what he controls,” Zelensky said.
Russian provocations
Zelensky also addressed a recent drone incident that Russia had tried to link to Ukraine, describing it as part of Moscow’s wider effort to draw Belarus into the war.
“As for the drone strike… everyone has already acknowledged it – international experts, and it seems to me the Russians also acknowledge it, let’s say, not openly – that this strike was not against us,” Zelensky said.
He said Russia would continue staging provocations to push Belarusian society toward deeper involvement in the war.
“The Russians will carry out many different provocations in order to drag the people of Belarus into this war,” Zelensky said. “This is one of those provocations.”
Trump signal on missile production
Turning to broader international support, Zelensky said his meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit produced positive signals on strengthening Ukraine’s air defense.
“Strengthening Ukraine’s air defense. And on this I received a positive signal from the whole family, including President Trump,” Zelensky said.
He said the US side reacted positively, for the first time, to Ukraine’s request for licenses to produce missiles.
“Licenses for the production of our missiles are being received positively by the American side for the first time,” Zelensky said.
According to Zelensky, Kyiv had raised the issue with the previous US administration but had not received a concrete result.
“Earlier, I had passed on this information, starting with the administration of President Biden, but we never received anything,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky said US officials are now expected to consult with Raytheon, other manufacturers and military officials.
“Now, God willing, they will hold all the consultations accordingly with Raytheon and with other manufacturers, and in the administration they will discuss it with the military,” Zelensky said.
He said he hopes the consultations will lead to a positive answer and allow Ukrainian private and state defense companies to expand production.
“I very much hope that they will return with a positive answer,” Zelensky said, adding that such production could help Ukraine, European countries and Middle Eastern partners.
Sanctions and pressure on Putin
Zelensky said his discussions with Trump also covered sanctions policy, arguing that Moscow still shows no sign that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to end the war.
“No one sees that Putin wants to sit down and end the war,” Zelensky said.
He said there is a growing understanding, even among people close to Putin, that Russia cannot occupy Ukraine or win the war.
“There is a feeling that even the people around him already understand that he cannot occupy Ukraine and cannot win this war,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky said Ukraine wants the war to end as soon as possible, but that sanctions are necessary to push Moscow toward that outcome.
“We very much want to end the war as early as possible. For this, sanctions are needed,” Zelensky said.
He said Trump indicated that he would return to this policy.
“President Trump said that he would return to this policy. This is a good signal,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky added that Trump also signaled continued and increased assistance for Ukraine.
“We will be helped much more – these are the words of President Trump – so that Putin understands that assistance will not stop,” Zelensky said.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter