Translation of "close ally" into Croatian

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine's counteroffensive "has failed" as he hosted Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, his close ally, for talks in St Petersburg on Sunday. "There is no counteroffensive," Russian news agencies quoted Lukashenko as saying. Putin replied: "It exists, but it has failed." Ukraine began its long-anticipated counter-offensive last month but has so far made only small gains against well entrenched Russian forces who control more than a sixth of its territory after nearly 17 months of war. (https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-lukashenko-meet-after-russia-warns-about-aggression-against-belarus-2023-07-22)

Ruski predsjednik Vladimir Putin rekao je da je ukrajinska protuofenziva "propala" dok je u nedjelju u Petrogradu ugostio bjeloruskog čelnika Aleksandra Lukašenka, svog bliskog saveznika. "Nema protuofenzive", izjavio je Lukašenko, a prenose ruske tiskovne agencije. Putin je odgovorio: "Postoji, ali nije uspjela." Ukrajina je započela svoju dugo očekivanu protuofenzivu prošlog mjeseca, ali je do sada ostvarila samo male dobitke protiv dobro ukopanih ruskih snaga koje kontroliraju više od šestine njezina teritorija nakon gotovo 17 mjeseci rata.