Lukashenko visits Russia for talks with Putin

Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenko has begun a working visit to Russia, where he will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders are expected to discuss the development of bilateral relations and address regional and international issues, with a particular focus on security matters, according to reports. Lukashenko is also set to meet Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to discuss expanding trade, economic and investment ties between the countries, as well as joint projects.

Lukashenko’s previous visit to Russia took place at the end of June, with an informal two-day meeting. According to Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the leaders then discussed regional security and touched on the situation in Ukraine.

Preparations for Lukashenko’s latest visit to the Kremlin were confirmed on August 26. “Yes, preparations are underway,” Peskov said, responding to a question about the meeting. Lukashenko himself had said on August 25, during a meeting with Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, that he planned to meet Putin and Mishustin soon. “We will meet with the Prime Minister of Russia in the near future. And with the President of Russia, we will also meet and discuss issues where we have not yet reached an agreement,” Lukashenko stated.

The last time Lukashenko and Putin met was on June 26 in Valdai. Those talks lasted two days, set against a backdrop of tensions between Minsk and Moscow over Lukashenko’s contacts with Ukraine.

The new meeting between Lukashenko and Putin comes at a time of an unusual visit by the CIA Director to Moscow. John Ratcliffe arrived in the Russian capital on August 25 for talks with Russian officials, though initially the details were not disclosed. The following day, Peskov said the discussions concerned contacts between American and Russian intelligence services.