MINSK, September 1. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has declared that, like many Belarusians, he supports Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

"Russia cannot lose, Russia cannot suffer a defeat there. And I, and many Belarusians, are supporting Russia in this regard," he said during an open discussion aired live on Thursday.

According to the Belarusian leader, "[the West] accuses Russia of being an aggressor." "And [they accuse] us as well. Well, no. Had it not been for the preventive special operation, then a rocket strike would have been delivered against Belarus first. They needed to drag us into this war," Lukashenko thinks. In his opinion, "it wasn’t Ukrainians preparing for this." "They were preparing for this over there - in the West, in the United States of America. And they will continue developing this situation, will do everything to bring Russia to its knees," he said, asserting that "Russia cannot be brought to its knees."