Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has called for the integration process between Belarus and Russia to be made "irreversible", framing it as a historic mission during a speech to Russia’s Federation Council, the upper chamber of the Russian parliament.
“It is our historic mission to make the process of Belarusian-Russian integration irreversible. We will accomplish this mission,” Lukashenko said, according to BelTA, the Belarusian state-owned news agency.
Lukashenko and Putin have increased cooperation between the two countries—particularly in the political, military, and economic spheres—though formal unification has not occurred.
Despite the strong language, Lukashenko clarified that a full political merger of the two countries is not imminent.
“When will Russia become part of Belarus, or vice versa, when will Belarus become part of Russia? This is unlikely to happen shortly,” he said.
He cautioned against forcing the pace of unification, suggesting that doing so could jeopardize what has already been achieved.
“If we bang on an open door in this regard, we will ruin everything we've accomplished. We need to go calmly, step by step,” Lukashenko added.
Path Toward Deeper Political Integration
Lukashenko also floated the possibility of Belarus and Russia establishing a joint parliament, but only “if both are ready.”
The two countries are currently united under the Union State, a long-standing framework for political and economic integration that has accelerated in recent years, especially following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Belarus has played a key role in supporting Russia during the war, including by allowing Moscow to use its territory for military operations.
