Although Lukashenko sat on the podium accompanied by Russian host Vladimir Putin and other leaders on Tuesday, his “expression of sadness” and the fact that after the parade he did not go with Putin and other representatives to the tomb of the unknown soldier in Alexandrovsky Park near the Kremlin, Nasha Niva portal concluding that the Belarusian leader “was forced to fly to Moscow, even though he was unwell”.

Belarusian political scientist Dmitry Bolkunets wrote in the Telegram app that Lukashenko’s doctors now have the difficult task “to sober up the leader, lubricate him, lower his sugar level, eliminate the distinct tremors in the head and move his body to Minsk Square .” The Belarusian parade was held there in the evening, and Lukashenka actually got there.

In about four minutes of live coverage broadcast by Belarus state agency Belta, she is seen getting out of the car, walking with an impenetrable expression behind a pair of soldiers carrying a large bouquet of flowers to the World War II heroes’ monument, before arranging it herself and bowing.

However, despite tradition, the Belarusian president is not addressing this year in Minsk, says the Meduza portal.

As well as Lukashenko, Putin was accompanied to the stands on Red Square in Moscow by the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – Kasym-Zomart Tokayev, Sadyr Žaparov, Imomali Rachmon, Serdar Berdymuhamedov and Shavkat Mirziyoyev – as well as Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.

Our Niva noticed that only President Tajik Rakhmon came to the Moscow parade with the St. George ribbon. George, who is considered a symbol of Russian patriotism and militarism. The presidents of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan prefer flowers with national colors, and Lukashenko likes the apple blossom, which he has made as a symbol of May 9 and of Belarus. The presidents of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan and the prime minister of Armenia did without symbols, added Naša Niva.

Putin appreciated the presence of leaders of other post-Soviet countries in Moscow at the military parade. This presence was interpreted by state television as proof that Russia is not in international isolation, as the West does because of the continued aggression of Russian troops in Ukraine.

Minsk is considered Moscow’s closest ally. Although Belarus was not directly involved in Russia’s war against Ukraine, it provided Russia with its territory and airports to attack its neighbors.