This Monday, Vladimir Putin arrived in Belarus to meet his counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, the first since his visit in 2019. In the early afternoon, Russian public television showed Vladimir Putin getting off the plane before being warmly received by Alexander Lukashenko and a welcoming committee. on the Minsk airport runway, with very low temperatures.
“Common measures to ensure safety”
The Kremlin master insisted on the close ties between the two countries, “the closest allies and strategic partners” who “effectively” resist Western sanctions.
According to him, during these “substantial” talks, Moscow and Minsk agreed to strengthen their cooperation in “all areas”, especially in the defense sector.
These are “common measures to ensure the security” of the two countries, “mutual deliveries of arms” as well as the common manufacture of weapons, the Russian president said.
Russia will also continue to train the Belarusian military to fly Soviet-designed Belarusian planes capable of carrying nuclear bombs, according to the same source.
“We tested these planes in Russia and we are preparing them now,” Alexander Lukashenko said, stressing that “this is not a threat to anyone.”
“Russia can do without us and we cannot do without it,” he said. “Are we capable of protecting our independence by ourselves, without Russia? No!” added the Belarusian president.
Russia’s ally Belarus served as a rear base for Russian troops in their offensive against Ukraine in late February, but the country’s army has so far not taken part in fighting on Ukrainian soil.
Two allies in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
In mid-October, Belarus and Russia announced the creation of a joint military force, for purely “defensive” purposes according to Minsk. Kyiv recently expressed fears about a possible attack from Belarusian territory in 2023. Vladimir Putin’s visit to his neighbor reinforces Ukraine’s fears.
These concerns continued to grow after the Russian military revealed on Monday that it would take part in “tactical” exercises in Belarus, following the announcement in October of the formation of a joint force of several thousand soldiers.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that the Russian president went to Belarus to convince Minsk to directly participate in the conflict in Ukraine, calling the accusations “stupid” and “unfounded.”
“Russia has no interest in absorbing anything”
During his trip, the Russian president also assured that Russia “has no interest” in absorbing Belarus, its closest ally, highly dependent on Moscow for oil and gas deliveries.
“Russia has no interest in absorbing anyone. It just doesn’t make sense,” he said.
At the end of the day, the Russian president also took advantage of his trip to “thank” France and Argentina for “this brilliant match” in the World Cup final. He also salutes a “deserved” victory for the Albicelestes. As a reminder, Moscow hosted the event in 2018, when the Blues won.
Source: BFM TV
