Putin 'in better shape than ever', says Belarus President

Alexander Lukashenko dismissed the notion that Putin, who is 69, was not at the height of his powers

Russian President Vladimir Putin is healthy, sane and "in better shape than ever", his close ally Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has said in an interview with the Japanese television channel TBS.

"He and I haven't only met as heads of state, we're on friendly terms," Lukashenko said in a recording of the interview shared by state news agency BelTA. "I'm absolutely privy to all his details, as far as possible, both state and personal." Russia used Belarusian territory as a staging post for its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Western leaders have suggested Putin made a costly miscalculation by launching the