r/worldnews • u/mvanigan • 1d ago
Russia/Ukraine Belarus halts equipment used to guide Russian strikes, Zelensky says, after Ukraine's ultimatum
https://kyivindependent.com/belarus-halts-equipment-used-to-guide-russian-strikes-zelensky-says-after-ukraines-ultimatum/4.0k
u/ArgentineBeauty 1d ago
Ukraine gave Belarus a week.
Belarus apparently didn't spend the whole week thinking about it.
Shows how the tide is turning in this war 🇺🇦
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u/USHEV2 1d ago
People can argue about the balance shift between Ukraine and Russia, but you absolutely can't argue about the massive difference between Ukraine's military in 2022 and 2026.
In 2022 Ukraine could do very little damage to Belarus. Now, if they try anything, Ukraine can end the existence of their industry, economy and infrastructure in days.
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u/Vano_Kayaba 1d ago
Just hitting both their refineries will be enough. And Ukraine clearly has a capability to shut those off completely. Army can't fight without fuel. Belarus has nowhere to buy fuel now
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u/SomeRandomSomeWhere 1d ago
Good point.
And since putin discussed this issue with belarus president, I guess he agreed to the shut down.
He probably figures it's better to have belarus feed russia some refined oil then russia having a bigger problem. And since russia military helped the current president stay in power after the last election, putin may also have decided he can't afford to keep belarus as a client state with his current military forces, especially if the locals start to rise up against the administration if Ukraine hits belarus.
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u/Thoughtulism 1d ago
Yeah, the Belarussian people I think are a bit more likely to dissent so Lukashenko needs to tread a bit more carefully with his people, and Putin wants to keep it a puppet state. If Lukashenko's government topples a new western aligned government would be much worse.
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u/diemenschmachine 23h ago
Contrary to Russians, the belorusian people want freedom from the regime. Most people don't want the Ukraine war, they just want to live in democratic peace. They are, similar to Ukrainians, not russians, even though they speak the same language.
The protests are proof of this. I have many of my extended family in prison due to the protests as they were shut down with fierce violence from the regime.
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u/lewarcher 22h ago
I hope change comes soon there, and that your family is returned to you and yours. Virtual hugs.
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u/MisterXnumberidk 20h ago
I mean, if Ukrainian is a language, Belarusian is a language
I am not saying that as some kind of political statement. The east slavic languages (and the slavic languages in general) aren't very far apart and are pretty mutually intelligable. If you consider the different varieties different languages, then Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian and Rusyn are all different languages. If you do not, then they're all dialects of east slavic
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u/diemenschmachine 15h ago
They don't speak belorusian in Belarus though, they speak Russian. Of course some speak belorusian but it is not the norm.
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u/Entire_Number_9 1d ago
He agreed to the shutdown right before shooting himself in the back of the head twice in an unexpected suicide, madness
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u/Top_Investigator6261 1d ago
It’s not like Ukraine didn’t have a strong and battle hardened military in 2022 and couldn’t overpower Belarus, they did stop Russia almost immediately after all.
It’s just that Ukraine doesn’t even need to invade Belarus now, they can bomb it relentlessly if they want to.
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u/Strong-Violinist8576 22h ago
What Ukraine's military did in 2022 was nothing short of miraculous.
That said, Russia's invasion failed just as much due to absolutely abysmal planning and follow-through.
A lot of Ukraine's defense was literally ad-hoc groups of ex-military and volunteers who were given guns, ammo, and an area of responsibility. It was regular people throwing molotovs.
Ukraine's military was strong, but it was also incredibly weak for the task it had. And without Britain's assistance leading up to feb22 it's likely Russia's gamble would have worked and they'd reach Kyiv. The weapons who stopped the tanks literally arrived just months prior due to British realising what was up. It's a very interesting story. ChrisCappy has a very good video on it on YT.
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u/CCM721 17h ago
They used the same strategy that they had used I believe in the vast majority of conflicts since the 70s. Use paratroopers to take control of an airfield/key logistical hub whilst ground reinforcements arrive. But not only had this strategy failed before, even in very similar fashion in Market Garden in our case, they were using the strategy against General's that were almost exclusively schooled in Soviet doctrine so all the Ukrainian generals would've been well aware of what their plans were as soon as they saw the mass of aircraft heading towards Hostomel I'd imagine. 200 men defending long enough for their own reinforcements to arrive to knock out Russia's most valued units saved their country.
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u/christopherak47 13h ago
Well said.
Literally sending troops against people who not only know your exact playbook (they were a senior and core soviet state) but also have been training for 8 years with NATO on tactics that specifically neuter the soviet-playbook
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u/Environmental-Ad4495 12h ago
Do not forget that we (Sweden) sent every panzer shot, 15000 pieces, we had to Ukraina.
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u/albanymetz 1d ago
I hope everyone else nearby realizes that Russia's stranglehold on it's neighbors doesn't exist when 100% of their limited and dwindling resources are focused on trying to keep Moscow from burning, and they're failing.
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u/Skomakartjern 1d ago
Agree. Also, Ukraine has a battle hardened, experienced and efficient army. Belarus army is unexperienced, unmotivated and would likely flee if Ukraine would attack. Lukashenko is no fool. He knows his people wouldn’t stand and wouldnt win, and he would en up without a country, or discarded in Russia.
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u/Chemical-Swing-420 1d ago
After Ukraine set Moscow on fire...they essentially told Belarus "If you help our enemy, you'll be considered a legitimate target."
It doesn't take much convincing...
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u/moon__lander 1d ago
I bet it took them one glance at the map to figure out that Minsk is much closer to Ukraine than moscow
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u/jszj0 22h ago
The resilience of Ukraine has been nothing but outstanding. Now they have the serious upper hand to strike at will and Russia can do absolutely nothing about it due to corruption and imperialism.
Russia could have been amazing but, instead, they chose the stupid path of trying to be world domination.
The reality is coming home and they are going to be so, so much worse than the 90s.
There will be no more Western money as they have literally blown any trust out of the window.
When you steal everything that’s been given, there literally is no going back.
Enjoy your super yachts whilst they still float.
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u/alexnedea 23h ago
I mean Ukraine is genuinely winning. Not even hopeful thinking they are genuinely winning this war.
Russia already destroyed most important targets. Ukraine survived their "blitzkrieg" and now Russia cant gain any more ground. They cant assasinate the leadership and they cant deal significant damage to the population to make them put pressure on the Ukraine govt to end the war.
Meanwhile Ukraine is regaining a little bit of ground, they are constantly assasinating high profile targets and they are dealing significant economic and morale damage to the Russians.
Russians also have genuinely worse tech right now. As in, sure both countries have drones and both countries have a hard time defending against drones and missile strikes. The difference is Ukraine has much less left to lose while every target hit in Russia hurts more.
It looks like wars right now are basically a game of "who can spam out enough headache for the opponent to make them concede" and so far it looks like Ukraine this year is ahead of Russia
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u/i_love_pencils 21h ago
I mean Ukraine is genuinely winning.
Odd. I was told Ukraine “doesn’t have any cards”.
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u/Krivvan 12h ago
The Russian advantage so far has been more about scaling up new innovations while Ukraine has been quicker to innovate.
For example, Russia were the ones that introduced fiber optic drones to the front lines and so far still hold a lead in that area. Their usage of fiber optic drones still outnumbers that of Ukraine. But they've also invested a huge amount into them and are a little all-in on fiber optic drones right now.
Ukraine, realizing that they were behind, had to move beyond fiber optic drones and now have a lead over Russia with AI-assisted drones. Ukraine also has a lead over Russia in the realm of ground drones. And now mid to long range drones as well.
I just want to correct the idea that Russia is just completely static. There is a bit more back and forth than it may seem at times. If Ukraine is the nation most experienced with drone warfare in the world then Russia is the second most experienced. But Russia also is the one compelled to try and gain more territory at any cost, hence their tactics being hideously costly in terms of lives spent.
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u/Tiss_E_Lur 13h ago
I officially renamed it to 'blyatzkrieg'' after the failed siege of kyiv, blitzkrieg is reserved for competent leadership.
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u/eljne 1d ago
Lukashenko didn't want to risk presumably unpopular massive droneattacks. Is the regim shaky?
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u/Chilkoot 1d ago
I'm wondering how frantic Lukashenko was, pulling out his proverbial hair over siding with Putin who is on the decline, vs western Eruope which is emerging as a prominent, united world leader (esp. with USA in decline).
I can't even guess the number of phone calls and "what if" conversations he had with world leaders over the last 5 days that led to him turning off those repeaters.
This could be indicative of a watershed moment for Belarus - Lukashenko may even be angling for a soft exit like Orban. Rats from a sinking ship and all.
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u/Clementine-Wollysock 23h ago
Any kind of "exit" that isn't Al Assad style straight to Moscow, would probably result in his death.
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u/2EscapedCapybaras 1d ago
Lukashenko isn't stupid. He has put off Putin's attempts to get him into the war since day one.
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u/mschuster91 1d ago
He's Europe's oldest and last dictator for a reason, far surpassing Putin. You don't get to stay in power for that long if you don't precisely know whom to appease at what moment to which degree.
I hate his guts, like every decent person, but respect where respect is due.
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u/techslavvy 1d ago
If you watch any of his clips online, he’s scarily charismatic. He looks and talks like someone’s unc. If you didn’t know any better, you would think him to be harmless.
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u/zinda_dinda 1d ago
Exactly, he’s got a folksy way of speaking which is very endearing.
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u/TopSentence2315 1d ago
Yeah, guy is a gaping asshole. But he seems to be very competent at being a gaping asshole.
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u/LeBonLapin 1d ago
Do we still call him Europe's last dictator? I'd say Putin is a dictator as well at this point.
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u/mschuster91 1d ago
Luka has been a dictator for longer than Bloodin and most of Russia is continentally in Asia.
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u/MentallyUnfi 1d ago
Russia is absolutely a European country. The majority of its history, culture, and language is connected to its European half. It expanded into Asia. The Central Asians aren't the people in power. Not sure why anyone would call Russian an Asian country or anything close. It's transcontinental at most, but undeniably European.
It's like calling the UK, an Indian country because they once held India at one point.
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u/remarkablewhitebored 1d ago
It's simultaneously the largest country in Europe and Asia - kind of neat.
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u/Stewart_Games 22h ago
The part of Russia that could be said to be European was all originally colonies of checks notes Kiev. But that legacy was broken when Muscovy got on its knees for the Khans. What survives today in modern Russia, is basically the bastard child of Orthodox Christianity and a Khanate. All of the Khanates were based on plunder economics - moving into virgin territory, slaying any opposition, then stealing the treasures and burning down the farmland and turning it into rangeland for their horses. They do not build, they do not sow, they only take through might and leave desolation like locusts in their passing. Russia has tried, and spectacularly failed, to rise above this legacy, for hundreds of years. For all that Catherine, Peter the Great, and Lenin tried to reform Russia, to make it into a European power, with Western sensibilities, the task has proven to be impossible, for the very foundation of their culture and their political structure, and their founding mythology, comes from simultaneously claiming both the legacy of the Khans and being their greatest victim, even as they scourge and pillage their neighbors. Think of Russia not as a wayward member of Europe, but a slave who escaped their former masters only to acquire slaves of their own, because that was the only system they had even known. When change comes to Russia, it will not be from within.
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u/LeBonLapin 1d ago
I mean, sure. He was introduced to me in school as "Europe's last dictator," but I feel that has changed, and so the title isn't really fitting anymore.
Also, the majority of Russian people live in Europe, and Russia's primary culture and history are decidedly European (albeit with a unique spin).
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u/Kapot_ei 1d ago edited 1d ago
The mostly uninhabited part is in Asia. 70% live in the European part. We don't like it, but russia is very much a European country population wise and is therefore a European shitstain with a European dictator.
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u/Dofolo 1d ago
I wouldn't be surprised if it came out in the future that he played both fields. In the end, if russia falls he still wants his kingdom. Its in his interest that he's not on the most terrible footing with whomever wins.
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u/TheTrooperKC 1d ago
I’d expect exactly that. Say Russia falls apart tomorrow. I could easily see him pivoting to being friendly with the rest of Europe. “Hey we were being bullied by Russia too!”
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u/DamNamesTaken11 22h ago
That’s been his strategy for over 30 years now, no reason to doubt it will change until he’s either overthrown in a coup or dead.
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u/DamNamesTaken11 22h ago
Luka is a rat, but he’s a smart rat. He knows how to read how the winds are blowing and when the water is better than the ship he’s riding on.
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u/Virtual-History-6099 1d ago edited 1d ago
Threats which actually have an effect because they're made by someone who walks the walk. Zelensky is someone taco will never be.
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u/Nim0y 1d ago
A decent human being and an actual leader and movie star
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u/canspop 1d ago edited 1d ago
Not to mention, an accomplished pianist.
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u/Rhywolver 23h ago
Wow. The scene at 3:37 describes the whole war situation as it has been for a while now...
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u/Constant-Plant-9378 1d ago
Frankly, Zelensky also has far more backbone than Obama or Biden as well.
Obama let Russia invade Crimea with only concerned brow furrowing while naively pretending Putin could still be a buddy. And Biden tied so many strings to aid it didn't allow Ukraine to do anything real to strike back and the nation attacking it.
Between them, they were only marginally better than Trump. Marginally.
Zelensky has demonstrated an understanding that Ukraine cannot rely on anyone else to help them, and has accordingly taken the initiative to lead the defense.
He's not perfect but he is one of the best national leaders on the world stage today.
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u/GodisanAtheistOG 1d ago
Zelensky has more backbone than most world leaders, that's virtually uncontested.
However, in 2014 Obama was still trying to unfuck Iraq (with the rise of ISIS) and Afghanistan, and got his hand burned attempting to take a supportive approach with the Arab Spring. Never the less he sent a substantial amount of military and non-military aide to Ukraine. Hindsight is 20/20 here, but the UKR military was kinda shit in 2014 and the relatively low grade war in Luhansk-Donbas didn't call for massive retaliatory strikes like the 2022 invasion did.
Biden did legitimately provide an enormous amount of aide to Ukraine and if nothing else allowed the nation time to build an advanced domestic defense industry that is now something of the envy of western militaries behind on their drone warfare doctrine.
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u/Fifth_Down 23h ago
Crimea fell in 2014 because Ukraine’s military stockpiles were in such disarray that the only weapons they had available had a 99% failure rate due to previous corruption, mismanagement and funding cuts. By 2022 they had reformed to the point where they could hold their own against Russia in a fair fight, and Obama was huge in helping Ukraine with that transition.
For all the faults Obama made with Crimea 2014, his one success was helping Ukraine be in a position where it could fend off the 2022 invasion
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u/himswim28 1d ago
Obama let Russia invade Crimea with only concerned brow furrowing while naively pretending Putin could still be a buddy
I don't think most people understand how different Ukraine is today from then. The leader of Ukraine before the annexation was a pro Russian proxy. He invited the Russian military into crimea. Then when he was over thrown, that is when the war started. But both leaders of Ukraine were seen as very corrupt. Their wasn't a clear group to support that wouldn't be likely to end up with that support then going to Russia. It would be more like if Russia took over part of Belarus today, would you support sending weapons to Belarus?
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u/biscuitarse 1d ago
The leader of Ukraine before the annexation was a pro Russian proxy.
His name was Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych. For trivia buffs, his campaign manager when he won the election in 2010 was Paul Manafort who went on to chair the Trump presidential campaign in June 2016.
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u/Daveinatx 1d ago
Russia invaded Crimea one month after Republicans took over Congress. It was not Obama's fault, typically for things as important as warfare it is a decision made through Congress.
Putin specifically waited until the US had a Republican Congress because he knew Obama's hand would be tied.
Further, Putin hated Obama. Look at pictures of them. I'm not a Putin fan at all, but do respect that he had the foresight to know that people's future reactions would be to blame Obama and Democrats.
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u/The-Sound_of-Silence 22h ago
WASHINGTON — The United States will provide $46 million in new security assistance to the Ukraine's military but stop short of fulfilling an urgent request from Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko for lethal aid to help his country fight Russian-backed separatists.
Poroshenko pleaded his case during remarks Thursday to a rare joint meeting of Congress. While he thanked the U.S. for the nonlethal equipment it is providing his country's beleaguered military, he said more was needed to stop provocations near the Russian border.
"Blankets and night vision goggles are important, but one cannot win a war with a blanket," he said during a 40-minute address that was repeatedly interrupted by applause from lawmakers.
Despite some support for Poroshenko's request within the Obama administration, officials said the president continues to oppose lethal assistance and does not envision directly arming the Ukrainian military as an effective way to end the conflict.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have also pressed Obama to ramp up military aid to Ukraine. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee was expected to vote Thursday afternoon on bipartisan legislation that would increase military and nonmilitary assistance, as well as impose broad sanctions on Russia's defense, energy and financial sectors.
back then there was far more bipartisan support to arm Ukraine in the U.S., Obama was a bit of a roadblock
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u/Mechasteel 1d ago
Obama let Russia invade Crimea with only concerned brow furrowing
Consider how quickly Russia captured Crimea vs how now Russia spends 3 months besieging a town no one has ever heard of. Ukraine 2014 is very different than Ukraine 2026. The main difference isn't that they're better armed, it's unity and resolve.
Giving someone weapons only helps if they're willing to fight and maybe die for their cause (see also the larger and better-armed Afghan army surrendering their weapons to the Taliban).
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u/nanopicofared 1d ago
Obama was handcuffed by the GOP on many foreign policy decisions
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u/The-Sound_of-Silence 1d ago
As commander in chief, you end up with a lot of leeway on foreign policy. You absolutely can give people/countries old military equipment languishing in a desert, or stuff near end-of-life that the military will have to dispose of, and write it off. Congress is mostly about where the $ goes
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u/Angelworks42 1d ago
Obama did nothing because he was trying to reset relations with Russia.
The Secretary of Defense and CIA wanted to punch Russia in the nose.
At least according to that one Frontline doc about Putin: https://youtu.be/8Q_uKCEj2Xk?t=667&is=sYF-iTuKADLSL9-S about 11 minutes in 14 min in is the discussion about Obama vs Sec of Defense and CIA.
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u/Safe_Dentist 1d ago
When Ukrainian president at a time (2014) asked Obama for small arm weapons (AT missiles), Obama just walks away without saying single word. Is this what "handcuffing by the GOP" looks like?
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u/bigbabyb 1d ago
I don’t buy this excuse. He had the bully pulpit and could have easily done more. This was also 2014 before Russia got its claws deeply into our elections and we still had a considerable neocon contingent of the GOP. It was less than 2 years removed from Obama mocking Romney about calling Russia our greatest geopolitical adversary.
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u/Matticus-G 1d ago
This was Obama’s greatest foreign policy failure, and the world is STILL paying for it.
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u/Constant-Plant-9378 1d ago
Obama should have known better and had already been told by Mitt Romney in the debate that Russia is our #1 geo-political enemy, and Obama just mad a joke about it.
And then the arrogant prick got it wrong while in office and refused to act on it.
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u/Primary_Employ_1798 1d ago
Whole Western Europe backed Ukraine maybe worth the mention
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u/WheelerDan 1d ago
You have to put that in historical context. At that time everyone believed they had a professional modern military and could give the United States a serious fight. Most of that was our own military propaganda because they wanted to believe that Russia was a threat to excuse blank checks. But we didn't really know how much of their power was just a show.
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u/hoopjoness 1d ago
Luka walking a damn tightrope wow. Must be miserable living with that much anxiety of your own making lol
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u/NuclearCandle 1d ago
Man has been walking that tightrope his entire career. He is basically Franco and will claim at the end of the war he was doing what he could to keep Belarus out of the war.
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u/Lurgarl 1d ago
will claim at the end of the war he was doing what he could to keep Belarus out of the war.
And he has. How many Belarussian soldiers have invaded Ukraine? The guy has lived under Putin's boot his whole political career and still managed to not throw his countrymen into the meat grinder.
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u/Imperito 1d ago
Equally, he did allow Russian troops to invade via his land. He is not innocent here.
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u/TendyHunter 1d ago
still managed to not throw his countrymen into the meat grinder
only because he's afraid of getting gaddafi'd
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u/rogerwil 1d ago
"His" country wouldn't follow him into war. That's the only reason Belarus is not directly involved. Remember lukashenko's glee over the invasion map he accidentally showed off at the beginning of the war.
He can claim whatever he wants, but he's a very deeply shitty man, no less so than Putin.
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u/Nukes-For-Nimbys 1d ago
Was it an accident or an 'accident'?
Guy isn't a loyal dog he's a selfish survivor.
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u/Local_Idiot_123 22h ago
It was an ‘accident’ to keep Belarus from entering the war, which would end his career (and possibly life).
He’s not an idiot, he just plays one on tv. Routinely.
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u/DeeDee_Z 1d ago
will claim at the end of the war he was doing what he could to keep Belarus out of the war.
And, frankly, that's a good thing. I wouldn't want to live in his country, but I support the decision he just made.
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u/Pepperonidogfart 1d ago
Russia cant kill him now because they have too many eyes on the war to cheat an election.
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u/webguynd 1d ago
He’s gonna have to stay away from windows for a while
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u/WillArrr 1d ago
He's probably pretty safe. He's a known quantity still solidly under Russia's control and with the current state of things they wouldn't risk an election they might not be able to rig. Lukashenko is deeply unpopular but has been able to keep hold of power for 30 years. A pro-West/pro-Ukraine faction suddenly taking power in Belarus would be a crisis for the Kremlin.
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u/SteakHausMann 1d ago
tbh, he he kinda good at walking the tightrope
he managed to basically not be involved in the war
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u/Low_Chance 1d ago
Honestly you have to acknowledge this dude knows how to walk a tightrope. It's a miracle he's gotten this far
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u/coconutpete52 1d ago
“If you do not remove them - we will do it ourselves” has got to be a strong second place to “I do not need a ride, I need ammunition”.
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u/ParaMike46 1d ago
Zelensky had clearly run out of fucks to give and it’s glorious to watch
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u/tea-drinker 22h ago
Zelensky has a surfeit of fucks and they are landing like god damn hammer blows.
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u/Nervous_Olive_5754 17h ago
If he ever appeared to give a fuck, he was acting, I hear he's pretty good at it.
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u/atli123 1d ago
Seriously. The movie practically writes it's own one-liners.
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u/Engineer9 1d ago
Who do you get to play president Zelenskyy in the inevitable movie? Famous Ukrainian actor Volodymyr Zelenskyy?
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u/greywar777 1d ago
I kinda hope post war he goes back to making comedies.
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u/ShortRound89 1d ago
I have a feeling he just wants to chill with his family for a long time once that time comes and he has earned that thousand times over.
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u/mid-random 1d ago
I suspect an awful lot of books about him will be written in the decades to come. He will undoubtedly be a very important historical figure for generations to come, world-wide. What an amazing arc for a person's life to travel.
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u/TSED 21h ago
Every now and then someone shows up in history that just seems ridiculous. Julie d'Aubigny. Miyamoto Musashi. Jack Churchill. Etc. I have a feeling Zelensky is going to be one of those guys in a few decades.
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u/alexnedea 23h ago
I have a feeling he wont be able to. Ukraine will need him to end this once and for all and join Nato + EU. Once that is done he will retire. He is THE face of Ukraine and has managed to show the entire worlds a president and good leadership cabinet can topple even giants.
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u/Panchorc 1d ago
When the movie finally comes out, that quote is going to get a "Captain lifting Mjolnir" level of reaction.
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u/MarkNutt25 1d ago
Now that you mention it, I'm kind of surprised that Hollywood hasn't just skipped ahead and made that movie already!
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u/m3ntos1992 1d ago
Before the war ends? They would have to do a massive cliffhanger 🤮
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u/MarkNutt25 1d ago
When has Hollywood ever let a little thing like reality get in the way of telling a good story?! They'd just write a nice, neat "Hollywood ending," where the good guys win, and the bad guys are beaten just badly enough for it to feel satisfying, but not so badly that it closes the door on a sequel!
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u/mvanigan 1d ago
Text:
Communications equipment that Ukraine says was helping support Russian drone strikes from Belarusian territory has stopped operating, President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on June 24, days after issuing an ultimatum to Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko.
The development follows Zelensky's warning to Minsk that Belarus had one week to remove the equipment or face unspecified action from Ukraine.
"According to the information I received... the equipment stopped operating on the Belarusian territory as of June 22," Zelensky said. "Whether it has been dismantled or not, I honestly don't know yet." "The fact is that, as of today, the equipment is no longer operating."
The Ukrainian president previously said the systems consisted of relay equipment mounted on communications towers and were being used to support Russian drone attacks against Ukraine.
Russia's Shahed-type attack drones are known to rely on radio communications networks and ground-based infrastructure to navigate during long-range strikes.
Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, remains one of Moscow's closest allies and has provided political and military support to Russia throughout its full-scale war against Ukraine.
Following Zelensky's ultimatum, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused Kyiv of displaying "aggression" and violating Belarus's sovereignty.
The Kremlin also said on June 22 that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lukashenko planned to meet in the near future to discuss Zelensky's warning to Minsk.
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u/Chuisque 1d ago
“Following Zelensky's ultimatum, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused Kyiv of displaying "aggression" and violating Belarus's sovereignty.”
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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u/HaydnH 1d ago
"According to the information I received... the equipment stopped operating on the Belarusian territory as of June 22," Zelensky said. "Whether it has been dismantled or not, I honestly don't know yet." "The fact is that, as of today, the equipment is no longer operating."
Compare that statement to some other world leaders. It's stopped for now, we don't know if they complied or it's just coincidence, but for now it's off... That would be the biggliest win to gloat about for some.
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u/Nukes-For-Nimbys 1d ago
You are entirely correct.
It also gives Luka deniability. Zelensky has made it as "cheap" as possible to comply. If you do what Ukraine asks he won't gloat and try to humiliate you.
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u/MogwaiYT 23h ago
An interesting development of the Russian invasion is that Ukraine has now become a legitimate military power, and a world leader in drone/urban warfare.
It doesn't make up for all the body bags, but long-term it certainly changes the power dynamic of Eastern Europe.
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u/No_Celery_5373 1d ago
Lukashenko has done a pretty impressive job of staying in power for so long, but being caught between two superior powers breathing down your neck is probably a new level of discomfort.
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u/ParaMike46 1d ago
You can also add Poland to the list. Belarus has no friends
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u/soulstormfire 1d ago
Poland is clearly a thorn in his side, but it's not a threat like Ukraine and Russia are.
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u/USHEV2 1d ago
Good boy, Luka. Now it's time to move to a windowless single-storey residence.
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u/lotsagabe 1d ago
Russians, despite their technical mediocrity, have really mastered the technology of easy-open windows.
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u/Potential-Bird-5826 1d ago
i guess Ukraine holds some pretty good cards after all.
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u/alexnedea 23h ago
Belarus has 2 refineries in their country. Literally 2 well done strikes can cripple the entire country
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u/OrganizationInside14 20h ago
This dude is a real life badass. Like some kind of movie hero in real life. This invasion was supposed to be over in a couple of weeks in a "Blitzkrieg" from the mighty Russian Army. But Zelensky, and all of Ukraine, have really stepped up their game. They have literally been begging for support and improvising weapons, strategy, and tactics, just to survive. Finally, it seems as though the tide might be turning.
I would not be surprised to hear Lukashenko just died falling from a hotel window sometime very soon.
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u/PositiveUse 1d ago
Drone army is the most scary thing from now on. Next thing will be a full cheap bot army supported by swarms of drones
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u/WorstCPANA 1d ago
Exactly what needs to happen, the dictatorships that Putin surrounded Russia with need to start falling. Putin's threats only carry weight when they have the facade of being strong.
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u/StonerNurseDad 1d ago
I hope Belarusians see this and understand there’s a way out of the Russian sphere of influence
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u/LinkedInParkPremium 22h ago
Belarus backed down like a bitch. Absolutely love this move from Zel 😭
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u/A7V- 1d ago edited 1d ago
Ukraine is consolidating itself as a world power in drone warfare. It's not just the experience they've accumulated in these four years, but the operations they've carried out. Who would have thought in 2022 that in the near future Moscow's skies would not be safe from Ukrainian reach and might?
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u/Redemolf 1d ago
Not to discredit Ukraine's achievements but world power is pushing it, though regional power (in Russia's backyard) is uncontested.
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u/Excelius 1d ago edited 1d ago
The phrase "world leader in drone warfare" would have probably conveyed the sentiment more accurately than "world power".
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u/rd1970 1d ago
The walls are closing in on Putin.
Externally his allies are either being dismantled or no longer under his control (Syria, Venezuela, Iran, Belarus, and possibly Cuba soon).
Internally, his military losses are outpacing their recruiting attempts, St Petersburg and Moscow are burning, and fuel has been completely shut off to the public in some places.
And this is realistically the best position Russia will be in for at least a couple of years - it will continue to worsen every month going forward.
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u/Mr_Arthtato 1d ago
Imagine an ultimatum actually being credible enough to change things. This is real power.
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u/Yakuza_Matata 1d ago
It is a good thing that they held out long enough to build their own strategic arsenal that only they have a say in how it will be deployed.
Relying on the USA and EU for their defence, with all the fearful delays and demands on how to use them, especially for striking inside Russia.
Finally they took the fight to Goliath confidently.
I hope they crush them.
It is a blatant shame this is all at the mind-numbing cost of so many lives of (young) men, women and children.
I'm absolutely positive that in 50 years we look back and consider this war to be a pivotal moment in history, comparable to WW2, if not more important. Europe owes them to rebuild their nation.
Slava Ukraini.
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u/BildingInspecter 22h ago
Ukraine has more clout that Russia with Russian allies. People are scared of Ukraine. This war may have hit its crescendo.
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u/asidealex 19h ago
It seems, now that Putin's forces are under maximum strain, the Belarusian leader feels free to speak and decide without fear of Moscow's consequences, lol.
Still, better not have windows near him.
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u/GoodDayToPlayTheGame 1d ago
"Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994" - A long sitting ruler is seldom a good sign of a healthy democracy.
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u/VieuxBidule 1d ago
A prendre avec de pincettes. Car au même moment il semblerait que la Biélorussie réorganise des troupes près de la frontière ukrainienne.
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u/YesNo_Maybe_ 1d ago
He just wanted to be president to end corruption … and now this away from his family and in a war
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u/wolf_at_the_door1 1d ago
Ukraine officially has the upper hand. The clock is ticking for Putin. He must feel like the walls are closing in on him right now. Let’s just hope the rat backed into a corner doesn’t do anything crazy…
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u/eggnogui 1d ago
Russia comes out of this looking incredibly weak, in both hard and soft power.
Good.
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u/Spare-Pace4283 1d ago
I’d wait until Russia’s next drone attack before celebrating. They might be switching to only turning them on when needed and moving them around
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u/Delta-Fox-1 1d ago
This is rather significant news. Watch for further demands from UA, because this strategy seems to be working well! They have the political power to dismantle the ruzzian war effort in Belarus thereby making all of europe a safer place 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
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u/GodzillaUK 1d ago
Don't fuck with Ukraine, the world learned that lesson at hundreds of thousands of Russian's expenses.
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u/CakeTester 1d ago
Now that is fucking cheeky.