Putin discusses Trump talks with Lukashenko amid Ukraine tensions
Vladimir Putin shared details of his conversation with Donald Trump with Alexander Lukashenko, according to Belarusian state media.
What do you need to know?
- Putin and Lukashenko spoke on the phone for about an hour. The topics included details of Putin's conversation with Trump.
- The discussion concerned the war in Ukraine and Eurasian integration. Union issues and meeting schedules were also addressed.
- Lukashenko expressed concerns about the US-Ukraine deal on rare earth metal extraction. Putin assured him that Russia is open to cooperation with the US on this matter.
What were the main topics of the conversation?
According to the Belarusian agency BelTA, the phone conversation between Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko lasted about an hour.
The Russian president was said to have informed his Belarusian counterpart about the details of the recent conversation with Donald Trump. The main topic was the situation in Ukraine, as well as Eurasian integration.
What did Lukashenko say about the situation in Ukraine?
During the conversation, Lukashenko expressed his belief that Kiev's agreement to a 30-day ceasefire was the result of pressure from Washington.
The Belarusian leader emphasized that Ukraine is likely not agreeing to the proposal, hoping that Moscow will reject it. - Russia cannot be pressured in resolving the situation in Ukraine - Lukashenko added.
The US-Ukraine agreement. "It's unpleasant"
Lukashenko expressed distrust towards the planned agreement between the US and Ukraine regarding the joint extraction of rare earth metals. In a conversation with the Russian president, he said that "it is somewhat strange". Putin replied that "Americans are opening doors that are already open", as Russia is ready to negotiate and cooperate on the matter with the US.
- It’s unpleasant that a powerful country like the United States, under your fence, under your window, will extract minerals, create enterprises, and so on - Lukashenko stated, expressing his concerns about the impact of this agreement on Russia and Belarus.
