Belarusian leader wants guarantees of non-interference from Kremlin ahead of presidential elections

During his short vacation in Sochi, President Lukashenko held an informal meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. There were no official reports about the meeting’s agenda, however, the presidents could discuss cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union and bilateral relations in the light of recession in Russia, which also affected Belarus. Most likely, the Belarusian leader attempted to reassure his Russian counterpart of his commitment to the Eurasian integration amid developments in Belarus’ western policy and requested guarantees of the Kremlin’s non-interference in the presidential campaign in Belarus, as well as requested financial support from the Russian for the Belarusian economy to remedy the crippling recession.