- The Russian president met this Monday in Moscow Alexander Lukashenko.

The presidents of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, during their meeting this Monday in Sochi.

Putin warns: "Europe must treat Russia with respect"

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that the West must treat Russia "with respect" when meeting with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexandr Lukashenko, in Sochi, a Russian resort on the Black Sea.

At the beginning of the meeting, which was not previously announced by the Kremlin, Lukashenko stressed that the future of Europe lies together 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 images broadcast on state television. To the words of his interlocutor, the head of the Kremlin added: "Treat us with respect."

At today's meeting, Putin proposed to discuss, in addition to the situation in the region, economic issues, in particular joint plans in the field of food and fertilizers.

"Food, fertilizer... They're going to buy. They're already buying. Of course, it's more complicated (because of Western sanctions)... We find ways and sell. Prices have gone up, but we haven't," he said. Lukashenko.

He thanked Putin for the invitation to meet in Sochi and expressed his confidence that they will find "all solutions" in talks. "Our cause is just. We will win! We have no other way out!" stressed the Belarusian president.

Lukashenko commented with Putin on the partial mobilization of reservists in Russia and downplayed the fact that young people flee abroad to avoid the call-up.

"Russia has resources to mobilize 25 million, so let 30,000 or 50,000 flee (...). Let them flee, they will return. You just have to decide what to do with them," he said.

He added that he was not worried when in 2020 thousands of Belarusians left the country after the presidential elections, denounced as fraudulent by the opposition and the international community. "The majority ask that we take them back," Lukashenko said.

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