President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and Putin share common goals. They are like pair of hands that scratch each other back.

Alexander Lukashenko has declared that he considers Russian President Vladimir Putin a friend and that the two are on the same team in sports and politics. He stated this in an interview broadcast on Russia-1 television.

Journalists were invited to Lukashenko’s ice hockey practice.

In response to a query about whether he plays hockey with Putin on the same or opposing sides, he said he is on the same team as the Russian leader not just on the ice but also in politics.

“We don’t play for different teams,” Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko remarked, emphasizing that this refers to both sports and politics.

Last year, when Belarusian strongman Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, cracked down on protests after winning elections, Putin was instrumental in backing the embattled Lukashenko.

The voting was rigged, according to opposition groups and others.

Putin emphasize a $1.5 billion bailout and established a reserve force of police officers to “guarantee Belarus’ security.”

Multiple cooperation agreements exist between the two countries. There was essentially no barrier between them before the coronavirus outbreak.

Russia supports Belarus’s comparatively modest economy, which is still based on the Soviet-era model of government ownership.

Belarus exports over half of its goods to Russia, primarily cheese, trucks, and tractors, compared to around a quarter of the European Union.