War latest: Belarus leader urges Ukraine and Russia to end conflict; Ukraine ‘captures’ largest Russian town so far

A key ally of Vladimir Putin has urged Ukraine and Russia to end their conflict to avoid the war spilling over into Belarus. 

Speaking to Russian state television, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said only “high-ranking people of American origin” wanted the war to continue. 

The West, he said, was encouraging Kyiv to fight because it wants Ukraine and Russia to “destroy each other”. 

Mr Lukashenko has positioned himself as a main backer of Mr Putin since the Russian president ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 – part of which was staged from Belarusian soil.

But, instead of allowing battles to rage on, he urged for talks to take place. 

“Let’s sit down at the negotiating table and end this brawl,” he said. 

“Neither the Ukrainian people, nor the Russians, nor the Belarusians need it. They (the West) need it.” 

Excerpts of the nearly two-hour interview were published on the Belarusian presidential website earlier today. 

He was speaking after Ukraine launched its invasion of Russia’s Kursk region last week. 

Kyiv has said its forces have
advanced 35km (22 miles) into Russia since the incursion began and
continue to gain ground.

But, Mr Lukashenko suggested, without providing evidence, that Ukraine could have plans to attack Belarus. 

He said Minsk
would not allow Ukrainian troops to “trample on our country”.

He suggested that the West was betting that the
destabilising situation in Kursk would encourage a troop
mobilisation in both Belarus and Russia and “shake up society
from within”.

“We don’t want escalation and we don’t want a war against
the whole of NATO. We don’t want that,” he said.

But if Ukraine does provoke Belarus, he cautioned,
“we’ll have no other choice”. 

On Saturday, Minsk said it was sending troops to reinforce
its southern border with Ukraine after accusing Kyiv of
violating its airspace with drones.

Kyiv said it had seen no
signs of such a build-up.