The ageing Russian tyrant was hosted by Lukashenko in the Belarusian capital on Friday, where Putin questioned Volodymyr Zelenskyy's legitimacy
Putin was in Minsk today to discuss the war and cooperation with ally Belarus . Russia n tyrant appeared despondent as he entertained avenues for peace Vladimir Putin looked off-colour at a conference with Belarus ian ally Alexander Lukashenko today as the pair met to discuss the war in Ukraine .
Much speculation has been made around the health of Putin, who was sworn in for his fifth term as president in March, some 24 years after he first took office.The Russian leader looked off-colour as he attended a press conference in Minsk todayUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during an interview with Afp on May 17
He then shelved a visit to Russia's biggest tank plant in Nizhny Tagil and also cancelled his usual appearance at an end-of-year meeting of his ministers, before cancelling his traditional December press conference and end-of-year ice hockey game. Days prior, the General SVR Telegram channel, which regularly alleges Putin is terminally ill with cancer, had claimed Putin had suffered a 'cardiac arrest'.
The Russian president discussed the war in Ukraine, possible avenues for peace and the use of nuclear drills at home. Ukrainian legislation bans elections during martial law that has been in place since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022.Zelensky has also rejected the preconditions that Russia has put forth for talks, including allowing Russia to retain the territory Kremlin's forces have taken since the February 2022 invasion.
Putin also took the opportunity to discuss his nuclear drills, insisting that his latest drills this week were not an escalation by Russia. Zelensky blamed 'the world' for allowing the seizures to happen, stressing the need for military support. Viktor Vodolatskiy, a member of Russia's State Duma lower house of parliament, was quoted by Tass news agency as saying Russian forces controlled more than half the territory of the town of Vovchansk, 5 km inside the border.
One admitted that Russian forces were now 'bogged down' in street fighting with Ukrainian forces in spite of initial tactical successes.
News Russia-Ukraine Conflict Alexander Lukashenko Vladimir Putin Russia Volodymyr Zelensky Kharkiv Belarus Ukraine
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