Russia will supply modern military equipment to Belarus

According to BelTA, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko agreed on March 11 that Russia will deliver to Belarus the most modern military equipment models in the near future.

Belarus, for its part, will increase supplies of agricultural equipment, passenger transport equipment and other technical products to Russia, said Natalia Eismont, press secretary of the President of Belarus. “During the talks, the parties focused on the development of the military-industrial complex and the defense of the two countries… The heads of state agreed on joint steps to support each other amid the pressure of sanctions, including support for energy prices,” Eismont said.

Government delegations of Belarus and Russia will meet in Moscow on March 14 to take concrete decisions on all discussed issues.

Russia and Belarus believe that the conflict in Ukraine can be resolved at any time if Ukraine is ready.

Previously, on March 4, the European Commission announced that it had suspended cooperation and research programs with Russia and Belarus, citing the two countries' connection to the current situation in Ukraine.

The European Union (EU) is funding 178 million euros for eight cooperation programs with Russia to support sustainable development in border areas. The EU's decision to suspend cooperation and research programs with Russia means that the above support will be frozen and no further cooperation agreements will be signed. In addition, the EU has suspended cooperation with Russian organizations in the field of research, science and innovation, including four projects awaiting approval. Similarly, the EU will also stop two cooperation programs with Belarus worth 257 million euros.

Canada will revoke most-favored-nation status for Russia and Belarus and will provide Ukraine with more lethal weapons, including rocket launchers and grenades, Canadian officials said on March 3. The decision means goods from Russia and Belarus will be subject to a 35 percent import tax.

On March 2, the World Bank (WB) also announced the suspension of all ongoing projects in Belarus and Russia. WB currently has 11 projects in Belarus, implemented in many fields from energy, education, transportation and COVID-19 response with a total value of 1.2 billion USD. In Russia, the bank is implementing 4 projects, mainly on policy issues, with a budget of 370 million USD.