Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy to Belarus - remove Russian relay stations or ‘we’ll do it’

Key Points:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy demanded Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko remove Russian military equipment from Belarus within a week, warning Ukraine would act if he did not comply, citing the use of Belarusian relay stations in attacks on Ukrainian civilians.
• Zelenskyy accused Belarus of being a major supplier of oil to the Russian military and urged Lukashenko to stop this support, highlighting Ukraine's intensified attacks on Russia's oil sector to weaken its war capabilities.
• EU and Russian officials expressed openness to dialogue, with EU chief António Costa emphasizing the need for diplomatic channels despite no credible signs of Russian willingness to engage, while Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called for a change in Europe's approach.
• Tensions escalated between Poland and Ukraine after Poland's president threatened to revoke Zelenskyy's top honor due to Ukraine renaming a military unit after the controversial Ukrainian Insurgent Army, risking a diplomatic crisis ahead of a Ukraine reconstruction conference in Poland.
• Russian shelling killed three civilians and injured six in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, while French authorities arrested a Belarus-born man suspected of spying for Russia by filming a drone prototype linked to French and Ukrainian armed forces.