While the world repudiates him, Vladimir Putin received Lukashenko on a yacht after a plane was diverted to arrest a journalist

05/29/2021 4:56 PM

• Clarín.com

• World

Updated 05/29/2021 5:15 PM

As if the meeting on Friday in the middle of the scandal over the diversion of a European commercial plane to arrest a journalist that occurred on May 23 was not a sufficient gesture, Russian President Vladimir Putin took it upon himself to once again express his full support for his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, upon receiving him for an intimate encounter on a yacht on the shores of the Black Sea. 

Lukashenko, who has his main ally in Moscow, was welcomed by Putin in Sochi, a coastal city, in convulsed hours for diplomacy after the announcement of sanctions against Minsk by the main western countries. 

"Yesterday was the official day of the dialogues, and today is the informal part,"

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told reporters, adding that both leaders "took advantage of the good weather" and

went to "take a boat trip. "

.

The Telegram channel "Pool Pervogo", which acts as an unofficial account of the Belarusian presidency, released a photo showing the two leaders talking, dressed casually, apparently on board a ship.

Putin and Lukashenko had lunch on a boat in Sochi, a coastal city located on the shores of the Black Sea.

Photo: DPA

According to Peskov, Putin and Lukashenko spoke mainly about "economic cooperation" and about the "fight against the pandemic" of covid-19, but also about the Ryanair airliner that was diverted by Minsk last weekend, and about the arrest of the Belarusian journalist critical of power Roman Protasevich and his Russian girlfriend Sofia Sapega, who were on board.

The plane was intercepted when it was flying over Belarusian territory and

the maneuver caused a great commotion in Europe and the United States

, which adopted sanctions against the Lukashenko regime, especially asking European airlines to avoid flying over Belarus.

Putin and Lukashenko took a boat ride.

Photo DPA

Putin and Lukashenko spoke on various topics and did not dodge the hijacked plane issue to arrest a journalist.

Reuters photo

"Lukashenko provided his counterpart with detailed information about what happened on board the Ryanair plane," added Peskov, adding that Moscow was not "indifferent to the fate" of Sapega, a Russian national.

Both agreed to work on the "organization of the air connection" between their countries, taking into account the restrictions imposed by the European Union.

Putin, from behind, watches a ship approach.

Photo: EFE

Vladimir Putin looks out to sea from the ship in which he received his Belarusian counterpart, Lukashenkko.

Photo: Reuter.

Protests in Poland against Lukashenko

Around the same time that Putin and Lukashenko were taking a boat ride on the shores of the Black Sea, hundreds of people were demonstrating against the Belarusian president in Poland.

It was a demonstration held in Warsaw in which the parents of the Belarusian opposition journalist in exile, Roman Protasevich, participated.

Protest in Warsaw with the participation of the parents of the detained journalist.

Photo: EFE

Natalia Protasevich, the journalist's mother, invited "all EU countries and the United States" to help "free Roman and his partner Sofia, as well as the other prisoners."

"We want to live in a free country, in a country in which everyone has the right to express their own convictions," added Father Dimitri.

The protesters chanted "Long live Belarus" and displayed posters with messages such as "Freedom for Belarus" or a "North Korea in the heart of Europe."

Hundreds of people mobilized in Warsaw, Poland.

Photo: EFE

With information from agencies.

Look also

Microsoft warns of a “wave” of cyberattacks to governments and companies from Russia

A grand jury decides in New York if Donald Trump should be charged with criminal offenses