Russian President, Vladimir Putin, on Sunday said Ukraine’s counteroffensive “has failed” as he hosted Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko for talks in St Petersburg.
According to Russian news agencies, Mr Lukashenko said: “There is no counteroffensive.”
The Russian President reportedly replied: “It exists, but it has failed.”
Ukraine began its long-anticipated counteroffensive last month but has so far made only small gains against well-entrenched Russian forces who control more than a sixth of its territory.
U.S. General Mark Milley said on Tuesday the Ukrainian drive was “far from a failure” but would be long, hard and bloody.
Meanwhile, a Telegram channel linked to Mr Lukashenko quoted him as saying in a jocular tone that Wagner fighters training Belarus’s Army were keen to push across the border into NATO member Poland.
“The Wagner guys have started to stress us – they want to go west. ‘Let’s go on a trip to Warsaw and Rzeszow’,” he was quoted as saying.
There was no indication that Mr Lukashenko was seriously entertaining that idea.
Poland is moving extra troops towards the border with Belarus in response to the arrival of Wagner forces who relocated there after a short-lived mutiny in Russia last month.
