Kremlin says Putin will discuss Zelenskyy's "threats" with Lukashenko

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that Russian ruler Vladimir Putin and self-proclaimed Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko will soon discuss Ukraine's demand that Belarus remove relay transmitters used to guide Russian drone strikes on Ukrainian cities within a week.

Source: Interfax, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet

Details: Asked whether Putin and Lukashenko planned to discuss Ukraine's demand, conveyed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, that the transmitters be removed within a week, Peskov replied: "Indeed, and as you know, Alexander Grigoryevich [Lukashenko – ed.] has spoken about this. He [Putin] plans to establish contact in the near future. It will be a good opportunity to discuss this and other issues."

Peskov added that the Kremlin considers the demand to be "a totally aggressive threat, interference in another country's internal affairs and an encroachment on another country's sovereignty".

"But we have no doubt that the leadership of Belarus and Belarus itself are capable of ensuring their sovereignty," he said.

Background:

• On 19 June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko had one week to remove the relay transmitters used to guide Russian drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, otherwise Ukraine would do it itself.
• Earlier, Zelenskyy said that Russia is continuing its attempts to draw Belarus into the war, potentially with the objective of conducting an operation against a NATO member state.
• Commenting on the threats emanating from Belarus, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces Commander Robert "Magyar" Brovdi said the Ukrainian military has already identified 500 targets on Belarusian territory. He also advised Lukashenko not to "stick in Ukraine's craw".
• Lukashenko responded to Brovdi's remarks by threatening to strike a "very serious" target in Ukraine, the coordinates of which Minsk supposedly possesses.
• Lukashenko said that no military action should be expected from Belarus and apologised to Zelenskyy for his harsh words.

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