Zelenskyy issues Lukashenko one-week ultimatum

On the 1578th day of the Ukraine war, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued an ultimatum to Belarus leader Aleksandr Lukashenko with a one-week deadline for compliance. The war, which began on 24 February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has now lasted over four years. Fighting is concentrated primarily in eastern and southern Ukraine.

On the 1578th day of the Ukraine war, 20 June 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued an ultimatum to Belarus leader Aleksandr Lukashenko, giving him one week to comply.

War Background

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Ukrainian armed forces succeeded in repelling Russia's offensive against Kyiv, which shifted the main weight of fighting to eastern and southern Ukraine, where intense battles continue to this day.

Zelenskyy and Lukashenko

The Ukrainian head of state's ultimatum to the Belarus leader represents a significant step, signalling mounting pressure on Minsk regarding Belarus's role in Russian military operations against Ukraine. Belarus has provided Russia with its territory to use as a launch point for attacks since the war began.

The conflict's course has been long and exhausting, with more than four years of intense fighting causing enormous casualties and widespread destruction to Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.