Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko left for a two-day visit to Moscow. Arriving yesterday, he expressed confidence that Moscow and Minsk will be able to withstand Western pressure.
AP/Mikhail Klimentyev
“We will overcome all this,” he was quoted as saying by Russian state news agency TASS. “And whoever expected or predicted that we would collapse – we didn’t collapse,” Lukashenko said ahead of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On the first day, Lukashenko and Putin first wanted to discuss open questions about the desired Russia-Belarus union. According to Lukashenko, 28 Union programs have already been widely implemented. “Our frequent meetings are designed to ensure there are no delays in the implementation of these programs,” he said.
On the second day of talks, Putin and Lukashenko want to discuss current political issues. In addition to the planned parking of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus on the border with Poland, this will likely also include a reaction to Finland’s NATO membership.