Putin shares Trump chat: Lukashenko worried about US‑Ukraine deal
Vladimir Putin shared details of his conversation with Donald Trump with Alexander Lukashenko, according to Belarusian state media.
What you need to know
- Putin and Lukashenko spoke on the phone for about an hour. The discussion 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.
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 reportedly informed his Belarusian counterpart about the details of the recent conversation with Donald Trump. The main topics were the situation in Ukraine and Eurasian integration.
What Lukashenko said 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 willingly to the proposal, hoping that Moscow might 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 remarked 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 potential impact of this agreement on Russia and Belarus.
