Belarus will not formally merge with Russia in the near future, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko said on March 14 while addressing the Russian Federation Council. "If we are going to burst through this open door,

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has declared that integration between Belarus and Russia must become irreversible.

US envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin and is now on his way back to the US with information for Donald Trump, the Kremlin says.

US president Donald Trump said he hoped Moscow would "do the right thing" and agree to a 30-day ceasefire after the Russian president made a series of demands for concessions. "Now we're going to see whether or not Russia is there, and if they're not, it'll be a very disappointing moment for the world," Mr Trump said.

The Russian president set a list of conditions for the truce called for by the US, while the US special envoy for Ukraine, Steve Witkoff, visited Moscow. Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, denounced the Kremlin leader's 'manipulative words.