Kremlin accuses Ukraine of threatening Belarus sovereignty

The Kremlin accused Ukraine of threatening the sovereignty of Belarus, a close Russian ally, after Kyiv demanded that Minsk remove signal relay stations allegedly used to assist Russian attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated that Belarus had one week to remove the equipment, threatening unspecified action if the demand was not met.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Ukraine's demand as "utterly aggressive interference in the internal affairs of another country and an encroachment on another country’s sovereignty." He added that Russia has "no doubt whatsoever" that Belarus can safeguard its sovereignty. Peskov also indicated that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko are expected to discuss Zelenskiy's remarks.

Russian forces utilized Belarusian territory to enter Ukraine in February 2022. However, Belarus has not committed its own troops to the conflict and has stated no plans to do so, though it does host Russian tactical nuclear weapons.