Kremlin denounces Zelenskyy ultimatum to Belarus over relay stations

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, framed the Ukrainian demand as illicit interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation. While Moscow has signaled that Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko will address the tension in the near future, Peskov maintained that Belarus possesses the necessary capacity to protect its own borders and political independence.

This friction highlights the precarious position of Belarus, which remains Russia’s closest military ally. Since the February 2022 invasion, Minsk has provided staging grounds for Russian forces and now hosts tactical nuclear weapons, yet Lukashenko has consistently maintained that his country will not commit its own troops to the conflict. The current dispute centers on whether Belarusian infrastructure is serving as a passive logistics hub or an active participant in Russian targeting operations.