INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
President Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday that Belarus would join the offensives in Ukraine "only if attacked" first by Kyiv's army."I'm
ready to fight together with the Russians from the territory of Belarus in one case only: if so much as one soldier from (Ukraine) comes to
our territory with a gun to kill my people," the veteran strongman told a rare press conference with foreign journalists in Minsk."This
applies to our other neighbors," Lukashenko said
"If they commit an aggression against Belarus, our response will be the most cruel
The most cruel!"Minsk allowed the Kremlin to use the country as a launching pad for its military operation against Kyiv last
Putin for an extra Russian division that would fall under his leadership."If there will be aggression, these people would be brought into
the Belarusian army."He gave no further details.Putin last month said he backed plans to set up joint military training centers with
launched their offensive on Ukraine, including from Belarusian territory.He echoed the Kremlin in saying that Russia was "forced" to do so
and blamed Ukraine and the West for the conflict
