Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday warned the continued Western support for Ukraine is increasing the likelihood of a nuclear war breaking out in the former Soviet republic as well as igniting the third World War.

Turkey’s parliament on Thursday approved a bill that allows Finland to join the NATO military alliance, clearing the last major hurdle for Helsinki to join the US-led alliance as the year-long war in Ukraine rages on.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country may soon approve Finland’s application to join the NATO military alliance.

Finland has edged closer to joining NATO after its parliament overwhelmingly passed legislation necessary for allowing the country to be a member of the transatlantic alliance.

US senators say Turkey will not get F-16 upgrades if it blocks Finland and Sweden from joining NATO.

The president was addressing the representatives of the Justice and Development Party in parliament.

Finland could reconsider its joint bid with Sweden to join the NATO military alliance, the country's top diplomat said Tuesday, after Stockholm faced fresh resistance from Turkey in the wake of the desecration of the Quran in the Swedish capital. 

The Iranian FM says the West's unchecked flow of weapons to Ukraine has further complicated the situation in the country.

A top advisor to Ukraine's beleaguered president Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that as many as 13,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since Russia launched its military operation in the country nine months ago. 

Russia's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that Sweden and Finland joining NATO could accelerate the militarisation of the Arctic region.