CSTO Warns of Rising Border Tensions Following Zelensky’s Ultimatum to Belarus

June 24, 2026 Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. president.gov.by A senior official at the Collective Security Treaty Organization said Wednesday that the Moscow-led military alliance has taken note of rising tensions between Ukraine and Belarus after Kyiv last week threatened to strike military targets inside Belarusian territory. “We’ve been hearing the Kyiv regime’s recent statements about Belarus,” Viktor Vasilyev, Chairman of the CSTO Permanent Council, said at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum. “The situation on the border between Ukraine and Belarus is growing more tense.” His comment follows an ultimatum from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who last week said his military would strike ground stations in Belarus if it continues to allow Russia to use them. The stations, he claimed, were used in recent Russian strikes on Ukraine. Zelensky warned that if Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko did not take down the stations, then Ukraine’s military would. “I think a week will be enough for him to do it. If he doesn’t do it, we will,” Zelensky said in an interview on Ukrainian television. Adding to the tensions are claims from Russian and Belarusian officials that a Ukrainian drone struck a bus carrying a Belarusian youth soccer team in a Russian border area last week, killing a woman and injuring six others, including four children. Ukraine denied it targeted the bus and dismissed the allegations as a “provocation.” Lukashenko, meanwhile, insisted the drone came from Ukraine, but has otherwise avoided using the incident as a pretext for retaliatory actions toward Kyiv. At the same time, Lukashenko said earlier this month that Belarus has no intention of joining Russia in its war against Ukraine. “We have said many times that it is absolutely unacceptable for the war between Ukraine and Russia to spill over into Belarusian territory,” he said, adding that Minsk is “very vulnerable militarily.” Former and current Russian and European officials told The Wall Street Journal this week that Moscow has allegedly begun a “pressure campaign” to draw Belarus into the war with Ukraine or “operations” against its NATO neighbors. Although Russia used Belarusian territory as a launchpad during its initial 2022 invasion, Minsk has so far avoided direct combat involvement, even as the two countries have deepened military and economic ties. Read more about: Belarus , CSTO , Ukraine Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Belarus Pardons 31 Ukrainians Under Lukashenko-Trump Pact In exchange, Washington partly lifted sanctions on Belarus' state carrier Belavia, allowing it to service and buy parts for its fleet, which includes Boeing... 1 Min read Venue for Ukraine-Russia Talks 'Ready': Belarus Kyiv was initially reluctant to send a delegation to Belarus. Belarus Finds Illegal Ukrainian Arms Shipments to Russia The smuggling network moved weapons, parts and ammunition from Ukraine through Lithuania and Belarus to reach Russia. Russia Launches Criminal Case Against Belarussian Nationalist Russia's Investigative Committee on Tuesday launched a criminal case against Belarussian citizen Dmitry Pavlov — the leader of...