Kremlin denies report claiming Russia is pressuring Belarus over Ukraine

Kremlin denies report claiming Russia is pressuring Belarus over Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attend a meeting of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, in Moscow, Russia, 26 February 2026
Reuters

The Kremlin has denied a Wall Street Journal report claiming Moscow is pressuring Belarus to support an expanded Russian military campaign in Ukraine.

Report claims Moscow threatened Minsk

The report, published on Wednesday, alleged that Russia wants to use Belarus to intensify attacks on Ukraine and threatened to reduce financial support to Minsk if it refused.

Speaking on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the claims, saying they "do not correspond to reality" and describing Belarus as Russia's "closest ally".

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy inspects fortifications at the border with Belarus, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Volyn region, Ukraine, 30 July 2024
Reuters
Belarus's role in the war

Belarusian territory served as a staging ground for Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly warned in recent months that Moscow is seeking to draw Belarus more deeply into the conflict.

Last week, Zelenskyy said Russian drone attacks were being guided by signal relay stations located in Belarus and gave President Alexander Lukashenko one week to remove them, warning that Ukraine would act if Belarus failed to do so.

On Wednesday, Zelenskyy said the relay stations had "stopped working", although he added it was unclear whether they had been dismantled.

Although Lukashenko has not deployed Belarusian troops to fight alongside Russian forces, Minsk has provided key support to Moscow throughout the war. Belarus hosts Russian tactical nuclear weapons, regularly conducts joint military exercises with Russia, and allows Russian forces to use its military bases and training grounds.

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