Belarus to take no part in special operation in Ukraine - Lukashenko

MINSK. March 4 (Interfax) - Belarus has not, is not, and will not take part in the Russian special operation in Ukraine, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.

"We are protecting the state border from Brest to Mozyr ourselves. The Belarusian army has taken no part in the special operation and does not plan to do so," Lukashenko said on Friday while signing a document on the constitutional referendum results at the Palace of the Republic in Minsk.

The Belarusian state-run television channel Belarus 1 aired the ceremony.

Lukashenko also mentioned the war of sanctions, which had been waged on Russia and Belarus, and said it would continue "for a long time."

"They [the West] have taken a tight hold of us. This is what President Putin and I were discussing today for two hours. They have taken a hold and they won't ease the grip until they believe they are done with us. You have to understand. They are pushing us into war in Ukraine. If we had intervened in the conflict, where no one was expecting us, it would have been a treat for them," Lukashenko said.