Ukraine imposes sanctions on Lukashenko as peace talks begin in Geneva
President Zelensky announced sanctions against Belarus's leader over military support to Russia, while Ukraine-Russia negotiations entered a second day with low expectations for breakthrough.
10 hrs ago
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Wednesday that Ukraine is imposing sanctions on Alexander Lukashenko, accusing the Belarusian leader of facilitating Russian military operations against Ukraine.
"Today, Ukraine applied a package of sanctions against Alexander Lukashenko, and we will significantly intensify countermeasures against all forms of his assistance in the killing of Ukrainians. We will work with partners so that this has a global effect," Zelensky stated on Telegram.
According to Zelensky, Lukashenko provided Belarusian territory for the deployment of Oreshnik missiles and allowed Russian enterprises to supply critical components and mechanical bases for the weapon. The president said this supply arrangement continued into 2026. In the second half of 2025, Russia also deployed a system of repeaters for controlling combat drones on Belarusian territory, Zelensky noted.
The sanctions announcement came as negotiators from Ukraine and Russia gathered for a second day of peace talks in Geneva on Wednesday. The US-brokered negotiations began Tuesday, though expectations for breakthroughs remained low, with neither side appearing willing to concede on key issues including control of territory in eastern Ukraine and future security guarantees.
Zelensky said Ukraine is serious about ending the war. In his evening video address Tuesday, he noted that Russia carried out a massive attack on the same day talks were held in Geneva. "Ukraine is ready. We do not need war. And we always act symmetrically – we are defending our state and our independence. Likewise, we are ready to move quickly toward a just agreement to end the war," Zelensky said.
He questioned Russia's commitment to diplomacy, stating: "The only question is for the Russians: what do they want? And also, whether there will be consequences for Russia for the fact that 'shaheds', missiles, and fantasy chatter about history matter more to them than real diplomacy, diplomacy and lasting peace."
Zelensky also said the Ukrainian delegation would raise the issue of Russian strikes with the American side, noting that the United States had proposed both sides refrain from attacks during negotiations. "Ukraine is ready," he said.
US President Donald Trump has set a June deadline for a settlement and recently suggested that Ukraine bears responsibility for ensuring the talks succeed. Zelensky pushed back against this framing, telling the US website Axios that it was "not fair" for Trump to publicly call on Ukraine, and not Russia, to make concessions for peace. "I hope it is just his tactics and not the decision," Zelensky said.