Belarus' Lukashenko urges Russia and Ukraine to end war as Kursk incursion continues

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko visit the Chapel of the Valaam Icon of the Mother of God on Svetly Island, Republic of Karelia, Russia July 26, 2024. Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine should negotiate an end to their conflict to avoid the war spilling over into Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko, a key ally of Vladimir Putin, said in an interview with Russian state television.

Lukashenko was speaking against the backdrop of a Ukrainian incursion into Russia that began on Aug. 6 when thousands of Kyiv's troops smashed through Russia's western border in a major embarrassment for Putin's top military brass.