Updated
Updated · UNITED24 Media · Jun 26
Lukashenko, Putin Hold Secret Valdai Talks as Belarus Resists Opening 2nd Front
Updated
Updated · UNITED24 Media · Jun 26

Lukashenko, Putin Hold Secret Valdai Talks as Belarus Resists Opening 2nd Front

3 articles · Updated · UNITED24 Media · Jun 26

Summary

  • Flight data showed Lukashenko’s plane left Minsk at 9:46 a.m. Moscow time, then went dark over Tver before the Kremlin disclosed the June 26 Valdai meeting after it ended.
  • The Kremlin said Putin and Lukashenko discussed the Union State agenda, trade, economic cooperation and regional security, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov adding no public statements would follow.
  • The closed-door talks came just after Lukashenko publicly told Russia’s ambassador not to drag Belarus into the war, amid reports Moscow is using Union State financial and legal pressure to push Minsk toward a second front.
  • Ukraine has also raised the stakes: Zelensky gave Belarus a 7-day deadline on June 19 to remove Russian drone-guidance repeaters, and intelligence later said the equipment stopped operating on June 22.

Insights

Did Ukraine’s ultimatum force Belarus to retreat, or is Russia merely preparing a new, more sophisticated northern front?
With its growing military dependence on Moscow, is Belarus on an irreversible path to becoming part of Russia?