Russian President Vladimir Putin made clear that he saw a news conference in which the Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, said he would join the war in Ukraine only if attacked.
A week before the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the leaders of Russia and Belarus, Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, met in Moscow on Friday. They mostly avoided discussion of the war — a sign of their awkward alliance, and even more awkward political relationship.A year ago, Putin used Russian forces stationed in Belarus to launch his ultimately catastrophic attempt to conquer Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.
That exchange was not the only uncomfortable moment. At their joint appearance, Putin opened by saying: “Thank you for agreeing to come.” Instead of dwelling on the war, the two leaders largely focused on their widening economic partnership. Putin said that bilateral trade between the countries was on the rise and hit a record of more than $43 billion last year.
That more, however, apparently does not include sending troops to help Putin achieve his military goals.On Thursday, Lukashenko had said: “I am ready to fight together with the Russians from the territory of Belarus only in one case: if at least one soldier sets foot in Belarus to kill my people. If they commit aggression against Belarus, the answer will be immediate. … The war will acquire a completely different scale.
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