Изображение: пресс-служба Кремля
Aliaksandr Lukashenka did not convey any messages from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Vladimir Putin during their meeting in Valdai, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“No,” he replied when asked the question, TASS reported.
Peskov also declined to answer whether Lukashenka serves as one of the communication channels between Moscow and Kyiv. It should be noted, however, that the Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly stated that messages continue to be exchanged through Minsk, where Ukraine maintains its embassy.
According to Peskov, existing communication channels between Moscow and Kyiv must remain out of the public eye in order to function effectively.
At the same time, the Kremlin spokesman acknowledged that Lukashenka and Putin discussed Ukraine during their meeting.
“Of course, the issue of Ukraine was on the agenda during the informal discussions that took place on Friday and Saturday in Valdai,” he said.
According to Peskov, the main focus was on bilateral relations and trade and economic cooperation, and the talks were substantive.
“The two heads of state discussed broader strategic issues, including security, regional security, escalating tensions caused by certain European countries, and attempts to provoke Belarus. All of this was discussed.
These were informal talks held at the president’s residence in Valdai, so, as you noticed, there was no media coverage of the discussions themselves.
However, the agenda was quite clear: first and foremost, bilateral relations and trade and economic cooperation. That is why, on the second day, as Putin said yesterday, the Russian prime minister joined the two presidents. The conversation was highly substantive because the large number of joint projects on the agenda of the Union State requires detailed discussion,” Peskov said.