Putin: Europe must treat Russia with ‘respect’

Russian President, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Today he stressed that the West should treat Russia with “respect” when meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in Sochi, the Russian Black Sea resort.

At the beginning of the meeting, which the Kremlin had not previously announced, Lukashenko stressed that the future of Europe lies with Russia and Belarus.

“Next to Russia, where there is everything they need. And they (European countries) have what we can buy from them: technologies and other things. What else do they need?” he asked, according to pictures broadcast by state television.

In the words of his interlocutor, the head of the Kremlin added: “He treated us with respect.”

In today’s meeting Putin suggested to discuss, In addition to the situation in the region, economic issues, in particular joint plans in the field of food and fertilizers.

“Food and fertilizer… they will buy. They are already buying. Of course, it is more complicated (because of Western sanctions) … we find ways and we sell. “The prices have gone up, but we haven’t,” Lukashenko said.

He thanked Putin for inviting him to meet in Sochi and expressed confidence that they would find “all solutions” in the talks.

“Our cause is just. We will win! We have no other way out!” the Belarusian president emphasized.

Lukashenko discussed with Putin Partial packing of reservists in Russia and underestimated the fact that young people are fleeing abroad to avoid being called up.

“Russia has the resources to mobilize 25 million, so let 30,000 or 50,000 flee (…). Let them flee, they will come back. You just have to decide what you will do with them,” he said.

He added that he was not worried when thousands of Belarusians left in 2020 The country after the presidency It was denounced as fraudulent by the opposition and the international community.

“The majority are asking us to take it back,” Lukashenko said.