Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko left Belarus on Sept. 14 for an official visit to Russia, according to his press service.
Talks with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin are planned for Sept. 15 and will cover "the international agenda and regional issues," as well as economic issues like "joint efforts in import substitution."
Belarus is under heavy international sanctions for its role in aiding Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since Putin launched the invasion in February 2022, Russia has become the most heavily sanctioned country in the world.
The news of the visit comes after the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Sept. 14, which calls for Europe to apply the same sanctions against Belarus as it currently does against Russia.
The resolution officially recognizes Lukashenko as an accomplice to the crimes of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, including the crime of deporting Ukrainian children from occupied territories.
The European Parliament believes that 2,150 Ukrainian children have been deported to Belarus and denounced the Belarus Red Cross for their involvement.
Lukashenko has enabled "Russia’s unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine" and therefore carries direct responsibility "for the destruction and damage caused to Ukraine," according to the resolution.
The resolution labels Belarus a "satellite state of Russia."
The U.S. announced new sanctions against Belarus in August, at the three-year anniversary of the fraudulent 2020 Belarusian election, in which Lukashenko solidified his grip over the country through the falsification of votes and mass repressions.
Maria Yeryoma
(Updated: )
