What Putin Wants From Lukashenko After Secretive Valdai Talks

Key Points:

• Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko held secret talks amid rising tensions between Kyiv and Minsk, officially discussing trade, joint projects, and regional security.
• The meeting followed a warning from Ukrainian President Zelensky demanding Belarus remove Russian signal relay stations used to guide attacks on Ukraine, which reportedly went dark after the ultimatum.
• Belarus has avoided direct military involvement but serves as a strategic base for Russia, hosting nuclear weapons, joint exercises, and military infrastructure supporting Moscow’s war efforts.
• Lukashenko faces a dilemma: maintaining Russian support while avoiding becoming a direct participant in the war, but continued Belarusian support for Russia risks making Belarusian assets targets for Ukraine.
• The talks highlight Putin’s push for loyalty and control over Belarus amid shrinking maneuverability for Lukashenko, with Kyiv signaling that Belarusian logistical support for Russia will be treated as complicity in the conflict.