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Kremlin spokesman describes Putin’s ‘apologies’ to Lukashenko as ‘figure of speech’

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned that President Putin "considered it necessary to inform his Belarusian counterpart that these issues had been touched upon"

MOSCOW, May 27. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 'apologies' to his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko were a figure of speech, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.

"I would say that it was political-diplomatic correctness," Peskov maintained, commenting on Lukashenko's words that Putin had allegedly offered apologies to him for discussing Belarus with US President Joe Biden.

The Kremlin spokesman specified that discussing the leaders of third countries "is not a common international practice" and described the Russian president's remarks "more like a figure of speech." "So, they should not be taken as an actual apology," he stressed.

"President Putin is rather tactful and he considered it necessary to inform his Belarusian counterpart that these issues had been touched upon," Peskov added.

However, the Russian presidential spokesman declined to actually cite Putin and Lukashenko. "No quotes are available. You know, when it comes to the president's one-on-one meetings, we never make quotations," he noted. According to Peskov, Putin made the remarks in question at his own initiative. "He does it constantly, [he informs] his Belarusian counterpart of contacts [with other leaders]," the Kremlin press secretary emphasized.

Tags

Vladimir Putin Dmitry Peskov Alexander Lukashenko

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