The key facts

  • The Putin-Lukashenko meeting took place at Novo-Ogaryovo ahead of the CSTO summit
  • Lukashenko said bilateral trade had grown by more than 21% this year
  • Lukashenko stated that Belarusian military units at the western border are ready for defense but were not sent to the conflict zone in Ukraine

Meeting on the eve of the CSTO summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday, November 10, at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence in the Moscow region. The meeting took place on the eve of the summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which will be held near Moscow.

Economy and humanitarian exchanges

Putin said that at the summit the leaders will discuss bilateral relations, including economic, humanitarian, and military-technical cooperation. He highly praised the trade ties between the two countries, calling the trade turnover 'truly remarkable,' and noted progress in investment and high technology. The Russian president also thanked Lukashenko for supporting humanitarian exchanges involving Ukraine, emphasizing that Moscow highly values Minsk's assistance in organizing them.

Trade growth and military support

Lukashenko, for his part, said that bilateral trade this year had grown by more than 21%. He thanked Moscow for supplies of modern weapons and military support, noting that the Belarusian armed forces had gained experience and strengthened their combat readiness. According to him, Belarusian military units stationed along the country's western border are ready to defend the country but were not sent to the conflict zone in Ukraine.