Moscow¡¯s close alliance with Minsk is facing a new test as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has shown reluctance to deepen his role in Russian President¡¯s Vladimir Putin¡¯s war against Ukraine.
Lukashenko held two days of talks with Putin over the weekend at the Russian leader¡¯s residence near Lake Valdai after publicly warning Russian officials against efforts to pull Belarus into the conflict.
The Belarusian leader has repeatedly said his country doesn¡¯t intend to get involved in the war unless attacked. But he appeared to acknowledge there was pressure to do so on Thursday when he received Russian Ambassador Boris Gryzlov, a close Putin ally, and Moscow region Gov. Andrey Vorobyov for talks in the Belarusian capital, Minsk.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.