Lukashenko denies Belarusian army joined attack on Ukraine

(Patria) - Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko told state media that his forces will not join Russian troops in the invasion of Ukraine, the BBC reported.

Lukashenko, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, said that "the Belarusian army does not participate in military actions and never has."

"We can prove that to anyone. Moreover, the Russian leadership has never raised this issue with us - our involvement in the armed conflict. And we do not intend to participate in this special operation in Ukraine in the future. There is no need for this."

On Monday, concerns were raised that Lukashenko was preparing to send military force to join the attack on Kyiv. US State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Monday that Russia had "mocked" Belarus's sovereignty by launching the invasion of Ukraine from Belarusian territory.