Lukashenko and Putin meet in Moscow, condemn NATO, sign Union State treaty

This is reported by TASS.

Following the negotiations, Putin and Lukashenko signed a joint statement, as well as an agreement on measures to “protect the citizens of both countries from unjustified oppression by foreign entities.” The parties also exchanged ratification certificates for a treaty on “security guarantees in the Union State,” which came into effect today.

During the meeting, they also discussed the war in Ukraine. In their joint statement, Putin and Lukashenko described NATO’s actions in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war as “hostile, destabilizing, and posing a nuclear conflict threat.”

It was also noted that Russia and Belarus will continue to “counter NATO if necessary, including in the military sphere.”

In February, Putin submitted the treaty on “security guarantees” with Belarus for ratification by the State Duma. This treaty includes provisions regarding the conditions for the use of nuclear weapons.

On Wednesday, March 12, the Telegram channel Pul Pervogo reported on Lukashenko’s trip to Moscow.

The visit’s program included negotiations at the Kremlin—first in a one-on-one format and then in an expanded format with delegation members. The topics of discussion were:

• the development of cooperation between Belarus and Russia, as well as prospective areas of interaction:
• joint work within integration frameworks;
• current international affairs.

At the beginning of March, Lukashenko invited Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to negotiations in Minsk. However, the Kremlin stated that such a meeting “has not been discussed at this time.”