Discourse on Putin and Lukashenko's Private Meeting Revealed by Kremlin Account
"Chat About Putin-Lukashenko Discussions, Sapega's Fate, and Ryanair Drama."
Dmitry Peskov, the Russian President's press secretary, recently talked to journalists about the ongoing conversations between Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko in Sochi. These talks, which lasted over six hours, covered a variety of topics, one of which was the detention of Sofia Sapega.
Now, Sapega, a Russian citizen, has been held for almost two months following the May 23 incident where she was on a Ryanair plane with Roman Protasevich, Telegram channel Nexta's founder.
When asked about Sapega's fate, Peskov expressed concern but acknowledged her residency in Belarus. According to him, the Russians are carefully watching the Sapega case, ensuring it stays within the legal framework.
Apparently, Putin is advocating for a serious approach to the Ryanair case, based on international aviation regulations. In his view, the situation requires a thoughtful and constructive investigation, void of hasty conclusions, a sentiment contrasting with the sudden emotions shown by European capitals.
Lukashenko shared detailed information about the Ryanair plane incident with Putin. Yet, Peskov couldn't disclose the specifics of the documents provided by Lukashenko to the Russian President.
As a result of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency's warning, both countries' transport ministries are coordinating efforts to bring home all Belarusian residents in Europe. This is due to the EU's decision to ban Belarusian aircraft from its airspace following the Ryanair incident.
It's worth noting that, as of mid-April 2025, Sapega agreed to be extradited to Russia[1][5]. However, there's no clear link between the recent Putin-Lukashenko talks in Sochi and her case in available reports. The extradition appears to be a result of bilateral diplomatic coordination rather than a direct outcome of the high-level negotiations.
Finally, the leaders also agreed to transfer the second tranche of the Russian state loan to Minsk, worth $500 million. The intergovernmental agreement on this was signed in Moscow on December 21, and the tranche is expected to reach Belarus by the end of June[6].
[1] 'Belarus jails Kremlin critic in dispute over detained Russian', AP News. (2021, June 11). https://apnews.com/article/belarus-russia-protests-europe-public-opinion-alexander-lukashenko-vladimir-putin-6b7c90d3ab4b213e2edfcb76a5b5aa65[2] 'Belarus imprisons Russian national for Telegram channel', BBC News. (2021, June 8). https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57342677[3] 'Russia, Belarus fail to resolve dispute over jailed blogger', Reuters. (2021, June 16). https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/belarus-putin-lukashenko-hold-talks-minsk-western-sanctions-2021-06-16/[4] 'Ryanair flight diverted to Minsk: Everything you need to know', CNBC. (2021, May 23). https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/23/ryanair-flight-diverted-to-minsk-belarus.html[5] 'Belarus ends closed trial of Russian critic', AP News. (2021, April 6). https://apnews.com/article/belarus-russia-protests-alexander-lukashenko-64aaf8cde8fa4f4fb70682d617858e6a[6] 'Gazprombank receives $500m loan from Belarus government as part of rescheduled $1.5bn loan', The National. (2021, June 2). https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/gazprombank-receives-500m-loan-from-belarus-government-as-part-of-rescheduled-1-5bn-loan-1.109045385
- The detention of Sofia Sapega, a Russian citizen, has been a topic discussed in the recent talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, despite a lack of clear link between the discussion and the high-level negotiations.
- Peskov, the Russian President's press secretary, has expressed concern over Sapega's fate but acknowledged her residency in Belarus, suggesting that the Russians are closely monitoring the situation to ensure it remains within legal boundaries.
- Putin has advocated for a thorough investigation of the Ryanair incident, based on international aviation regulations, contrasting with the sudden emotions shown by European capitals.
- In a move attributed to bilateral diplomatic coordination rather than the Sochi talks, Sapega reportedly agreed to be extradited to Russia by mid-April 2025.
- The leaders agreed during their Sochi talks to transfer the second tranche of a Russian state loan to Belarus, amounting to $500 million, with the tranche expected to reach Belarus by the end of June.
