Ukraine is feeling more confident of late as its long-range drones have made the Moscow area - as well as dozens of oil refineries across the country burn.
Zelensky if seeking to flex yet again in recent days by issuing an ultimatum to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, threatening that close Russian ally and 'Union State' Belarus could face attacks out of Ukraine if it fails to dismantle the air defense radar array along its southern border.
The Ukrainian leader even issued a timeline and deadline, in a social media post on Friday night telling Lukashenko to "remove that equipment."
"I think a week is enough for him to do that… If he doesn’t do it, we will," Zelensky threatened. Zelensky added that "Russia will keep pushing him further into this war" - but that Lukashenko now "understands that Ukraine will respond."
Belarus has been involved in Russia's 'special military operation' from the beginning, having played the role of staging area and logistical hub for the initial invasion and some subsequent attacks.
Importantly it is also hosting Russian tactical nukes, which is clearly a loud warning and threat to NATO.
Addressing these factors, Zelensky also alleged that the Belarusian army "adjusts fire on our people." He stressed in the statement that "today, Belarus is one of the key suppliers for the Russian army."
A major incident just unfolded due to a Ukrainian drone strike on Belarusian civilians, which Lukashenko dubbed an act of terrorism:
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry said Thursday that it summoned a senior Ukrainian diplomat to protest a deadly drone strike on a bus carrying a Belarusian youth soccer team.
Belarusian and Russian authorities accused Ukraine’s military of targeting the vehicle as it traveled through Russia’s western border region of Bryansk on Wednesday. A woman accompanying the team was killed, and six others, including four teenagers, were wounded.
Following the incident, federal investigators in Russia launched a terrorism probe. Russia’s Foreign Ministry denounced the attack as “another monstrous crime.”
Ukraine, for its part, has rejected that its forces were behind the attack, dismissing the whole incident as a "provocation" and suggesting a false flag or manufactured event.
Days ago Lukashenko demanded answers for the bus attack, accusing Ukraine of seeking to drag his nation into the conflict and that it "will have to pay dearly for that."
Throughout the war there's actually been surprisingly little in the way of direct Ukraine-Belarus fighting and confrontation, but this could change. Officials fear this would catapult the over four-year long conflict into a bigger regional war.