Russia’s Putin Pays Rare Visit to His Country’s ‘No. 1 Ally’ Belarus

Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko (L) welcomes his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin (R) prior to the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) summit in Minsk on Nov. 30, 2017. Mikhail Metzel/AFP via Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Minsk, Belarus, on Dec. 19 for a one-day “working visit,” during which he’s slated to hold talks with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko.

Putin was accompanied on the trip by Sergei Shoigu and Sergey Lavrov, his ministers of defense and foreign affairs, respectively.