Lukashenko says Belarus will only fight alongside Russia if attacked

Belarus has warned it will join Russia in the war if attacked. President Alexander Lukashenko made the comments on Thursday during an impromptu press conference in Minsk. He also accused the United States of not wanting peace in Ukraine and of pressuring re-European countries who, he says, do. Lukashenko said his country did not want to fight but was prepared to if provoked. We are peaceful people. We know what war is. We do not want war.

There is no way we are planning to send our troops into Ukraine unless you show aggression to Belarus from there. That's all, that's my reply, given a long time ago and I still stand by it. We will give you no such chance. But should you dare to set a foot on our soil, the response will be terrifying. The Westerners know which response it will be and which weapons would be used, a terrifying response. Lukashenko, who is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest allies, said Moscow had never asked Minsk to go to war in Ukraine. Belarus did, however, allow the Kremlin to launch last year's failed offensive on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv from their country.

Recent joint air force drills between Russia and Belarus have raised fears that Minsk could be preparing to take a more active role in the conflict. Lukashenko called on Biden to meet with Putin in Belarus and end the war.

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