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Reuters
Reuters
Politics

Putin opens talks with Belarus leader, no public mention of Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, April 5, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Byrkin/Pool via REUTERS

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Belarus counterpart Alexander Lukashenko to Moscow on Wednesday for two days of talks, but in their opening public remarks both men steered clear of the war in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week the two leaders would discuss Lukashenko's call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. Last month Putin said Russia would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

"I must say that we have done a lot as a result of our joint work in all areas," Putin told Lukashenko in comments broadcast by state television.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow, Russia, April 5, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS

"We will discuss all of this tomorrow - this applies to our cooperation in the international arena and jointly solving questions of ensuring the security of our states."

Moscow is Minsk's closest political and financial backer. Lukashenko allowed Putin to use the territory of Belarus as a launch pad for the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Russia and Belarus are formally part of a Union State, a borderless union and alliance between the two former Soviet republics. Russia's pre-war population was around 140 million compared to just 9 million for Belarus.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow, Russia, April 5, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS

(Reporting by David Ljunggren and Jake Cordell; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Russian President Vladimir Putin embraces Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, April 5, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Byrkin/Pool via REUTERS
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