Putin and Lukashenko Hold Talks Amid Rising Ukraine-Belarus Tensions

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko convened on Friday to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, against a backdrop of increasing strain between Minsk and Kyiv.

The two leaders met at Putin’s residence in Valdai, located in northwest Russia, where they also addressed trade and economic cooperation, the implementation of joint projects, and regional security matters, according to the Kremlin.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the Russian news agency TASS that no press statements or document signings were planned following the meeting.

This meeting occurred amid rising tensions between Belarus and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his belief that Putin aims to "push Lukashenko to increase his support for Moscow in the war."

The Belarusian Ministry of Defense, which hosts Russian nuclear weapons, announced the start of military exercises focused on the combat use of nuclear weapons and nuclear support.

Moscow and Minsk deny these claims and assert that Ukraine and the West are responsible for fueling the tensions. Lukashenko stated on Thursday that he met with representatives of Zelensky and warned them against attempts to drag Belarus into the conflict.

Putin and Lukashenko maintain a close alliance and hold frequent meetings. The Kremlin accused Ukraine of threatening Belarus’s sovereignty after Zelensky gave Minsk a one-week deadline last Friday to dismantle signal booster stations he claimed were used to direct Russian attacks.

Zelensky mentioned on Wednesday that the signal booster stations had ceased operations, although there has been no independent confirmation of this.

While Lukashenko has not deployed Belarusian troops to fight alongside Russia, he permitted Putin to use Belarus as a launch point for the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and later agreed to allow Russia to deploy tactical nuclear missiles on Belarusian territory.