Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged Russians to look to “official reports” for information regarding the health of Alexander Lukashenko.
“There have been no such official statements from Minsk, and in this situation, we believe it’s very important to rely on official information,” Peskov said on a Monday press call, responding to a question about when the Kremlin is concerned by reports that Lukashenko is experiencing health problems.
Lukashenko has not been seen in public since May 9, when he appeared on Moscow’s Victory Day parade but did not attend an informal breakfast with Vladimir Putin. The Belarusian leader showed up at a flower-laying ceremony in Minsk later that day, but he did not give his traditional speech. He was also absent from an event marking the country’s National Day of the State Flag, Emblem, Anthem on Sunday. Lukashenko’s press service has not commented on his absence.