Putin visits Belarus, possibly eyeing more military support for war effort

By AP 19 December 2022, 7:56 pm

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko pose for photo prior to their talks in Minsk, Belarus, December 19, 2022. (Konstantin Zavrazhin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin makes a rare trip to Moscow’s ally Belarus as his forces pursue their campaign to torment Ukraine from the air, during a broad battlefield stalemate almost 10 months into the war.

Putin’s visit comes hours after Russia’s latest drone attack on Ukraine. Moscow has been targeting Ukraine’s power grid since October as part of a strategy to try to leave the country without heat and light during the bitterly cold winter.

The Russian leader’s brief trip to Minsk could herald more military support for the Kremlin’s war effort, after Belarus provided the Kremlin’s troops with a launching pad for the invasion of Ukraine in February.

Belarus is believed to have Soviet-era weapons stockpiles that could be useful for Moscow. Lukashenko, meanwhile, needs help with his country’s ailing economy. It is a rare trip to Minsk by Putin, who usually receives Lukashenko at the Kremlin.