Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to take concrete steps towards de-escalation, DPA reports.
Lukashenko recently called on Moscow and Kiev to end the war, saying that a military victory was unrealistic for both sides. At the same time, he assured that Ukraine had nothing to fear from Belarus and apologized to Zelensky for his harsh statements in the past.
"Lukashenko must show de-escalation not only in words," Zelensky insisted in an interview with Ukrainian media. According to him, a simple apology from Moscow's close ally is not enough.
"It can keep its "I'm sorry" to itself - that hasn't worked since the first day of the war," he was categorical.
Belarus is considered Russia's closest ally. When Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022, they attacked the Ukrainian capital Kiev and from Belarusian territory, but were forced to withdraw after suffering heavy losses.
For weeks, Zelensky has been warning that Russia is trying to drag Belarus into the war and calling on Minsk not to allow this.
Kiev claims that it is currently threatened by several Russian relay stations on Belarusian territory. Ukraine says Russia uses these relay stations to guide drones in attacks on targets in Ukraine.
Zelensky has repeatedly called on Lukashenko to dismantle these facilities: "If they don't turn them off, we will turn them off. Period".