Belarusian President Lukashenko Addresses Reports He Was Hospitalized After Meeting With Putin

Valery Tsepkalo, the opposition leader in Belarus, shared in a Telegram and Twitter post this weekend that President Alexander Lukashenko, 68, was admitted into a Moscow hospital and is in “critical condition” following a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Rumors in the media about Lukashenko’s health spread quickly when he showed up at Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9 with a bandage on his right hand and had difficulty maintaining balance while standing.

Thirty-nine Russian officials have died in the last year under mysterious circumstances.

He also did not make an appearance at the annual National Flag, Emblem and Anthem Day in his home country with his prime minister reading a message in his place.

After Tsepkalo’s post, Belarusian officials released pictures and videos of Lukashenko, but users have raised doubts over the timing of when they were taken. The pictures show Lukashenko visiting a military compound with his left arm bandaged, conflicting with many pictures of him taken on May 9 where his right arm was wrapped up.

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Last Tuesday, Lukashenko addressed the circulating rumors about his well-being during an official meeting that was broadcast by the outlet Pul Pervovo. Lukashenko said that he just had a cold and added, “If someone thinks I’m about to die – calm down, calm down. It’s nothing more than chatter on messengers and Telegram channels.”

Lukashenko is referred to as the last dictator in Europe, ruling over Belarus since 1994. Many protestors against the regime have fled the country after a crackdown on dissenters following the 2020 presidential election. Critics disputed the results after Lukashenko said he won more than 81 percent of the vote.

Lukashenko is also an ally of Putin and allowed the Russian military to use its border with Ukraine as a base for its invasion in early 2022. He also permitted Russia to start plans to set up nuclear weapons in Belarus. But according to the London-based think tank Chatham House, the majority of Belarusians do not support the war.