Belarus is being dragged by Moscow into opening a new front in the war in Ukraine, which could force Kyiv to divert resources and attention away from its counter-offensives in the east and south of the country, Ukrainian officials say.

Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian leader, on Monday said he was sending his troops alongside Russian forces close to the border with Ukraine, accusing Kyiv and its western allies of preparing an attack against Belarus. Lukashenko announced the deployment two days after meeting Russian president Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg.

In a video call on Tuesday Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy told G7 leaders that: “Russia is trying to directly involve Belarus in this war, playing a provocation with the fact that we are allegedly preparing an attack on this country.