Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has apparently rebuffed Vladimir Putin’s efforts to force Belarus to make more concessions on Russian-Belarusian integration, the Institute for the Study of War concluded after the Minsk meeting.
Putin explained to Belarus that Russia was not interested in “absorbing anyone”.
Some Russian forces are stationed in Belarus and used its territory when invading Ukraine in February. Russia also has fighter jets stationed in Belarus.
Think tank ISW writes: Putin and Lukashenko have not spoken publicly about the war in Ukraine, but they said that Belarus is still threatened by the West.
ISW previously noted that Lukashenko is using the rhetoric of defending Belarus’ borders against the West and NATO to prevent Russia’s involvement in the war in Ukraine.
ISW still considers Belarus’ participation in the war against Ukraine unlikely.
Putin admits: situation in annexed areas is “extremely difficult”
The Russian president said the situation in the four eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson, which Moscow illegally annexed in September, was “extremely difficult”.
Ukrainian forces continued to attack Russian forces in Zaporizhia Oblast, while Russian forces continued to strengthen and upgrade their defenses there.
In Kherson, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces are withdrawing some units from areas on the east bank of the Dnipro River.
However, Ukraine warns that Russia’s army may try to lure Ukrainian troops into a trap under the guise of an alleged withdrawal.