During a visit to Belarus, Putin expressed his desire to strengthen cooperation between Moscow and Minsk “in all areas”, especially in defense with “mutual arms supplies”.
This Monday, Vladimir Putin arrived in Belarus to meet his counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, a first since his visit in 2019. Early in the afternoon, Russian public television showed Vladimir Putin disembarking from the plane before being greeted by Alexander Lukashenko and was warmly welcomed by a welcoming committee on the tarmac of Minsk airport, in very cold temperatures.
“Joint measures to ensure safety”
The Kremlin master insisted on the close ties between the two countries, “the closest allies and strategic partners” who are “effectively” defying Western sanctions.
According to him, during these “substantial” talks, Moscow and Minsk agreed to increase their cooperation in “all areas”, especially in the defense sector.
These are “joint measures to ensure security” by both countries, “mutual arms deliveries” and joint armaments production, said the Russian President.
Russia will also continue to train Belarusian soldiers to fly Soviet-designed Belarusian aircraft capable of carrying nuclear bombs, according to the same source.
“We tested these planes in Russia and are now preparing them,” Alexander Lukashenko said, stressing that “this does not pose a threat to anyone.”
“Russia can do without us, and we cannot do without them,” he said. “Are we able to defend our independence on our own, without Russia? No!” added the Belarusian President.
Russia’s ally Belarus served as a base for Russian troops in their offensive against Ukraine in late February, but the country’s military has not yet taken part in the fighting on Ukrainian territory.
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 voiced fears of a possible attack from Belarusian territory in 2023. Vladimir Putin’s visit to his neighbor adds to Ukrainian fears.
Those concerns grew after the Russian army announced on Monday that it would take part in “tactical” maneuvers in Belarus after announcing the formation of a joint force of several thousand soldiers in October.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that the Russian president traveled to Belarus to persuade Minsk to become directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, calling the accusations “stupid” and “baseless”.
“Russia has no interest in absorbing anything”
During his trip, the Russian president also assured that Russia has “no interest” in welcoming Belarus, its closest ally, which is heavily dependent on Moscow for gas and oil supplies.
“Russia has no interest in taking anyone in. It just doesn’t make sense,” he said.
At the end of the day, the Russian President also used his trip to “thank you” to France and Argentina for “this brilliant game” in the World Cup final. He also applauds a “deserved” victory for the Albicelestes. As a reminder, Moscow hosted the event in 2018 when the Blues won.