Putin describes talks with Lukashenko in Minsk as 'very fruitful'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has described talks with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko as "very fruitful."
His host in Minsk, in turn, spoke of "constructive and productive" talks, the Russian state news agency TASS reported on Monday after the conclusion of the talks in Minsk.
Among other things, the two heads of state had agreed on a continuation of military cooperation, as well as even closer economic cooperation.
There had been price agreements in the energy sector, which Putin, however, did not want to explain in detail.
In concrete terms, the two long-term presidents agreed to continue joint manoeuvres of their armed forces. In addition, Russia would train Belarusian air crews for possible missions with nuclear weapons, Putin said.
Putin believes that both Moscow and Minsk successfully resisted pressure from Western sanctions and attempts to isolate Russia and Belarus.
"We are coordinating our steps to minimize the influence of the illegal restriction measures on our economy," Putin said. "And we are doing it quite convincingly and effectively."