Putin's strongman ally says Belarus — which is on the verge of a default — can help Russia overcome Western sanctions
- Putin ally Alexander Lukashenko said that the two countries could help each other out with sanctions.
- Both countries' economies have been devastated by western sanctions in the past few weeks.
During a bilateral meeting on Friday, Belarusian president and Putin ally Alexander Lukashenko told the Russian president that his country could help Russia overcome Western sanctions, despite both countries' economies being on the verge of a default.
"In a month, we will forget that there are sanctions," Lukashenko told Putin. "We should get together at the table in Moscow & come to an agreement: we sell you this, you sell us that. We'll build a joint economic policy."
On Thursday, the World Bank's chief economist, Carmen Reinhart, told Reuters that Russia's and Belarus' economies were on the verge of defaulting following the sanctions unleashed on the two countries. Major companies have also ceased operations in Russia due to its war in Ukraine.
Ahead of Russia's war in Ukraine and throughout it, Lukashenko has been one of Putin's strongest allies, allowing Russian troops to operate from Belarus' border with Ukraine during the invasion.
"Both Russia and Belarus are in square default territory," Reinhart told Reuters. "They're not rated by the agencies as a selective default yet, but mighty close."
In late February, Russia launched a military assault on neighboring Ukraine — including Russian troops moving through Belarus to attack. A week into the military campaign, Belarus held unsuccessful negotiations for Ukraine and Russia.
Russian forces have launched attacks on civilian targets and recently bombed a maternity ward, killing at least three.