MINSK: Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied any plans to absorb Belarus as he made a rare visit to the key ally whose strongman Alexander Lukashenko supported his invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
Putin, who was accompanied by Russian defence and foreign ministers, travelled to Minsk to meet his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko hours after Kremlin’s forces launched a series of drone attacks at critical infrastructure in Kyiv, which provoked emergency blackouts across the region.
During the meeting with Lukashenko, Putin said that Russia and Belarus were “united by a common history and spiritual values,” calling the two countries “closest allies and strategic partners.”
“Russia has no interest in absorbing anyone, this would simply make no sense,” Putin said adding that rumours that Russia sought to take over Belarus came from “ill-wishers”.
Alexander Lukashenko urged closer military cooperation between the two allies, saying that Russia and Belarus were open to dialogue with other states, including European nations. He said “I hope that soon they will listen to the voice of reason.”
Russian ally’s speculated entry into Ukraine War
There were speculations ahead of Putin’s visit to Belarus that he would pressure Lukashenko to send troops to Ukraine to fight alongside the Russians following multiple military setbacks to Russia in nearly 10 months of fighting.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, however, dismissed the rumours calling them “totally stupid, groundless fabrications.” Belarus in October announced the formation of a joint regional force with Moscow, with several thousand Russian servicemen arriving in the ex-Soviet country.
Lukashenko secured a sixth term after the 2020 elections which were widely criticised as fraudulent. Russia’s key ally and neighbour, Belarus, which also shares a border with Ukraine, helped Moscow’s invasion by providing its forces with the shortest possible land route to Kyiv.–APP
