Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko's Walk in Sochi

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko met in Sochi. Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that "the two leaders would first converse and then their interaction would continue over a working lunch." Peskov also noted that press statements are not expected following the meeting of the two presidents.

Peskov clarified in an interview with reporters that the leaders would not overlook the incident involving the Ryanair aircraft. According to the Kremlin spokesperson, Lukashenko will have the opportunity to provide the Russian head of state with detailed information about the circumstances and reasons surrounding the incident with the aircraft.

Additionally, the results of the negotiations between Putin and Lukashenko in Sochi have been published. An agreement has been reached for the second tranche of a $500 million state loan from the Russian Federation to Belarus, with the funds to be received soon.

Putin has instructed the Russian Foreign Ministry to closely monitor the fate of the arrested Sapega in Minsk. The presidents discussed the development of trade-economic relations and the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

During the meeting between Putin and Lukashenko, the topic of transitioning to a single currency between Russia and Belarus was not touched upon. The same applies to the subject of additional economic assistance to Minsk.