Zelensky's Ultimatum to Lukashenko: How Ukraine Forced Belarus to Shut Down Russian Drone Relay Stations

"When Mr. Lukashenko says he doesn't want to be dragged into this war, then let him remove this equipment, let him switch it off," Zelensky said .

The Ultimatum: One Week, Four Stations, and a Direct Threat

Zelensky gave Lukashenko one week to disable and remove the relay stations . His exact phrasing left no room for ambiguity: "If he doesn't do it, we'll do it" — explicitly threatening unilateral Ukrainian military action against targets on Belarusian territory if Minsk failed to act . Ukraine identified four relay stations in Belarus that needed to be taken offline .

Timeline and Outcome: A Swift Resolution

The outcome was that the relay stations were shut down by June 22 without Ukraine carrying out its threatened strikes. It remains unclear whether the equipment was removed or simply powered off . Zelensky later posted on X: "We did everything so that three or four of them are no longer there" .

Russia's Reaction: Accusations and Military Alliance Warnings

• The Kremlin (June 22) accused Ukraine of "threatening the sovereignty" of a close Russian ally and said it stood ready to "ensure the security" of Belarus . Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the ultimatum an attempt to "further incite the continuation of the war and escalate tensions" and said Putin and Lukashenko planned a meeting to discuss the issue .
• The CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization, Moscow's military alliance) issued a statement on June 24 warning of "rising border tensions" after Kyiv threatened strikes inside Belarus .

EU Reaction: Full Support for Ukraine's Right to Self-Defense

The European Commission expressed clear support for Ukraine's position. Spokesperson Anitta Hipper stated: "Belarus is helping Russia wage its war of aggression against Ukraine. Therefore, Ukrainians have the right to self-defense" . The EU did not condemn the ultimatum itself and framed it within Ukraine's inherent right to defend itself, with Hipper reiterating that "Belarus continues to be an enabler of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine" .

What This Episode Reveals About Lukashenko's Geopolitical Position

This episode starkly illustrates Lukashenko's impossible balancing act between Moscow and Kyiv:

• Formal neutrality exposed. Lukashenko has repeatedly claimed Belarus does not want to enter the war, but the relay stations proved that Russian military infrastructure operates openly on Belarusian soil with his effective acquiescence .
• Moscow's pressure is escalating. According to a Wall Street Journal report cited by Meduza, Russia has stepped up financial and political pressure on Belarus in 2026 to draw it deeper into the war, leaving Lukashenko with shrinking room to maneuver .
• Kyiv treats him as complicit. Zelensky's ultimatum — and his earlier sanctions package against Lukashenko personally in February 2026 — signals that Ukraine no longer accepts Lukashenko's "we didn't know" excuses and now holds him directly responsible .
• He blinked first. The quiet removal or switch-off of the relays by June 22, before the deadline expired, suggests Lukashenko chose de-escalation with Ukraine over full compliance with Moscow's war needs, at least for now . Belarusian state media immediately began running "peace-loving" messaging after the ultimatum, indicating a domestic information campaign to manage the fallout .
• The core dilemma. Caught between Kyiv's ultimatums and Moscow's financial blackmail, Lukashenko can neither fully join Russia's war (risking his regime's survival and a direct Ukrainian response) nor fully refuse Moscow (risking Russian economic coercion or political destabilization). This episode shows him choosing a middle path — quietly yielding to Kyiv while publicly maintaining his alliance with Moscow .