Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Russia in 2020 (AP)

According to BeITA, Belarus has backed Russia and will continue to do so, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said on July 3 at a wreath-laying ceremony at the Mound of Glory memorial outside Minsk.

Lukashenko stressed that Belarus is reproached as "the only country in the world that supports Russia in its struggle against Nazism, for its efforts to put up a barrier against the abuse of Russian people. We have supported and will continue to support Russia. These reproaches are ridiculous and sad."

According to the President, Russia and Belarus are fraternal states, and Belarus is to Russia "the closest state in the world."

"Our tragedy is that today two sister nations - Russians and Ukrainians - have clashed. This is our tragedy. But we always say that the truth is stronger. The truth is on the side of fraternal Russia today,” Lukashenko explained.

“We are the only country that supports Russians in this struggle. And how many countries are on the other side? There are almost fifty, who are actually fighting against Russia in Ukraine."

Lukashenko wondered how those who reproach Belarus do not know that the alliance being built between Russia and Belarus is a "single, powerful, independent Union State of two independent peoples? We are trailblazers; this experience is unique in the world. We must set this example for others. Didn't they know that the union of Belarus and Russia has a single grouping of armed forces which was set up a long time? In fact, this is a single army. They all know that. So why are they reproaching us today? We have been together with fraternal Russia."

The President reiterated that from the start of the operation in Ukraine, Belarus voiced its support for Russia.

"On the first day of the operation, I said: we will not allow anyone to shoot Russia in the back. We are holding the fort from the Brest Fortress to the southern borders and have Russia's back against NATO troops. They can't forgive us for this."