Belarus Not to Join Russia-Ukraine Conflict Unless Attacked

On Thursday, President Alexander Lukashenko said that Belarus will not participate in the armed hostilities in Ukraine unless Ukrainians cross the state border.

RELATED: 

An Attack on Belarus Will Mean an Aggression on Russia: Putin

"If Ukrainians do not cross our border, we will never participate in this war, in this full-scale war, but we will always help Russia," Lukashenko told the media in an interview.

The Belarusian president also denied reports that Moscow allegedly persuades Minsk to participate in its special military operation in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Lukashenko said that the conflict in Ukraine could have been avoided, and it is still possible to end it. Any peace negotiation should be proceeded without pre-conditions, he added.

On Thursday, Lukashenko held a meeting with Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu aimed at promoting relations between the two militaries.

Lukashenko asked Li to convey the sincere greetings of his people to President Xi Jinping and expressed his heartfelt thanks to the Chinese side for the support to his country.

The relations between the two militaries have been developing well, Lukashenko said, adding that he hopes that the two sides can join hands and play a constructive role in safeguarding the security of the two countries and regional stability.

For his part, Li pointed out that the cooperation between the two militaries has been developing steadily, and fruitful results have been achieved in strategic communication and joint training and exercises.

The two sides will make joint efforts under the guidance of the two heads of state to push forward bilateral military relations.