Putin not pushing Belarus to enter war with Ukraine, says Lukashenko

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko visit the Museum of Naval Glory in Kronstadt near Saint Petersburg, Russia July 23, 2023. Sputnik/Alexander Demyanchuk/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

(Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin is not trying to push Belarus into joining the war in Ukraine, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in an online interview published on Thursday.

"To involve Belarus... what will that give? Nothing," said Lukashenko, one of Putin's closest allies, whose country borders Ukraine, Russia and three NATO countries including Poland.