Russian leader makes rare admission while in Belarus; Chinese-Russian naval drills to ‘further deepen’ ties
Asked about Putin’s comment dismissing the prospect of Russia ‘absorbing’ Belarus, US state department spokesperson Ned Price said it should be treated as the “height of irony”, given it was “coming from a leader who is seeking at the present moment, right now, to violently absorb his other peaceful nextdoor neighbour.”
He added that Washington would continue to watch very closely whether or not Belarus would provide additional support to Putin and would respond “appropriately” if it does.
