Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia this weekend, the Kremlin said Friday.
“The talks are planned for Saturday,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Interfax news agency.
Lukashenko arrived in Russia on Thursday, with his office saying he and Putin will discuss “key areas of bilateral cooperation” and “pressing regional and international issues, as well as security matters.”
Lukashenko is also scheduled to discuss Russian-Belarusian trade and economic cooperation with Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. Lukashenko hosted Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov on Tuesday in Minsk, where the sides discussed growing bilateral trade in the first half of 2026.
Lukashenko’s regime remains heavily reliant on the Kremlin both economically and politically, and Belarus currently hosts a portion of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons.
Russia used Belarusian territory as a launching pad during the start of its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Minsk has so far avoided direct involvement in the conflict, even as the two nations continue to deepen their military and economic ties.
Lukashenko issued a public message on Monday congratulating the people of Ukraine on their Independence Day and expressing confidence that Minsk and Kyiv would eventually restore cooperation “despite geopolitical upheavals.”
On Tuesday, Lukashenko ordered a snap combat readiness inspection of the Belarusian military.
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