Lukashenko says he has warned Ukraine not to drag Belarus into war

MINSK, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday that he had recently met with representatives of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which he cautioned against any actions that could draw Belarus into the ongoing conflict.

"Our position is peace-loving," Lukashenko said during a meeting with Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the Moscow region.

Lukashenko stressed his country's neutral stance, saying that Belarus does not want to fight Ukraine, especially with Ukrainian troops near the border.

He called for peaceful negotiations and warned against escalation, saying that Belarus values peace and does not seek confrontation, but will defend itself if needed.