Zelenskyy expects concrete steps from Lukashenko: 'Keep your apology to yourself'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko must demonstrate de-escalation through actions, not words, and his apology is no longer sufficient.
In an interview with TSN. Tyzhden, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Alexander Lukashenko must follow his public statements with concrete de-escalation measures. Zelenskyy revealed that he had already taken non-public steps and conveyed through intelligence and military channels that Belarus should stop aiding Russia.
Zelenskyy emphasized that the issue of repeaters on Belarusian territory correcting Russian drone strikes is not new; it has been ongoing and has cost Ukrainian lives. “Lukashenko, in addition to words, must demonstrate de-escalation. And not just with words ‘I’m sorry.’ Let him keep his ‘I’m sorry’ to himself – it hasn’t worked since the first day of the war,” he said.
According to Zelenskyy, Lukashenko has been repeatedly informed about the need for concrete actions. “Step one: no technical support. Cut off direct support for repeaters. Remove them and show us they are removed, and we close this issue. If he doesn’t, we will do it within a week,” he warned. Ukraine also sent a signal to stop fuel supplies to the Russian army, not as a threat but as a statement of what they observe.
On June 19, Zelenskyy gave Lukashenko a week to remove the repeaters, and on June 20 he reported that at least four repeaters are located in the Gomel and Brest regions, and fuel supplies from Belarus to Russia have increased 13-fold. Previously, Ukrainian intelligence officer Brovdi (call sign “Madar”) stated that 500 targets in Belarus had been identified and warned Lukashenko. Lukashenko responded by threatening to strike a “very serious” target in Ukraine but later apologized to Zelenskyy.
