Putin meets Lukashenko for first time since Wagner mutiny

Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time met and held talks with his closest ally, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenkosince the latter played a major role in brokering a deal which led to the end of mutiny by Wagner fighters in Moscow last month.

On Sunday, a video posted by Lukashenko's press service showed that the two global leaders arrived together at Konstantinovsky palace in Saint Petersburg ahead of scheduled talks.

Putin said that his talks with Lukashenko will continue for two days. "I changed some of my plans," said Putin while meeting Lukashenko at Konstantinovsky Palace. "We will spend one and a half, two days (for talks)," Putin was quoted by the TASS news agency as saying.

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During the meeting, Putin informed Lukashenko that an ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive to push back forces of Russia from Ukraine has "failed", as per the Russian news agencies.

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"There is no counteroffensive," said Lukashenko, according to the TASS news agency, as Putin interrupted him by saying, "There is one, but it has failed.”

Putin further stated that he will discuss the issue of security in Eastern Europe with Lukashenko in their first face-to-face talks. "We will of course talk about security in our region," Putin said in televised remarks.

Wagner mercenaries staying in central Belarus:Lukashenko

Lukashenko stated that the Russian Wagner mercenaries are being kept in central Belarus and the situation with the notorious fighters present on its territory is being "controlled" by Minsk.

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"They are asking to go West, ask me for permission... to go on a trip to Warsaw, to Rzeszow," said Lukashenko while speaking to Putin. "But of course, I am keeping them in central Belarus, like we agreed. We are controlling what is happening (with Wagner)," he stated, adding: "They are in a bad mood."

Putin,Lukashenko greet crowd together

Putin and Lukashenko greeteda crowd of people in Kronstadt town on Kotlin Island in Russia together, markinga rare walkabout. A video ofPutin and Lukashenko posing together for photographs with people, asbodyguards stood nearby, was posted by Russia's Kommersant newspaper.

Speaking about quarantine rules which Putin has been following since the pandemic, the Russian leaderreplied,"People are more important than quarantine."

(With inputs from agencies)

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