Sanctions against Russia are pushing Russia into World War III , Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko told the media after casting his ballot at the referendum on the updated Constitution of Belarus on Sunday, BelTA reported.

“In this situation, you must understand one thing: some sanctions are worse than a war. Now there is a lot of talk there about sanctions against the banking sector. Gas, oil, SWIFT. This is pushing Russia into a third world war. Therefore, we need to show restraint so as not to get in trouble. Because a nuclear war is a disaster,” the Belarusian president said.

“It is such a shame, but it is their choice,” Lukashenko added commenting on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s refusal to send a delegation for talks to Gomel, Belarus. 
The head of the Belarusian state is sure that Zelenskyy's decisions depend on external forces.
There is no war going on from Belarus' territory, Aleksandr Lukashenko added.
 “We don't wage a war against them now and back then: there is no need. No missiles fly from our territory to Ukraine and they don't have to. Kiev is surrounded, those cities are surrounded. They [Russians] have occupied some cities. Why would we shoot from Belarus' territory 200km, 300km, 400km away? It would be crazy,” he said.
There is not a single Belarusian soldier and not a single Belarusian cartridge in Ukraine, Lukashenko noted.
“The Ukrainian elite have recently contacted me with a request to talk to Volodymyr Zelenskyy,” the Belarusian president noted as well. Lukashenko added that he agreed, although expressing doubts that he could influence the Ukrainian leader. 
Also, Aleksandr Lukashenko said that it is not yet a "war," but a "conflict" Ukraine.
"But it will turn into a war in a day or two, and into a ‘meat grinder’ in three days," he added.