'Never again will we need the West' Putin unveils new Belarus deal to strengthen alliance

Russia: Putin unveils new Belarus deal to strengthen alliance

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During a joint press conference with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin insisted he hoped "common sense" over sanctions will prevail across the West. As he took a swipe at Western countries for targeting Russia in the aftermath of his invasion of Ukraine, Putin unveiled a series of new arrangements set to strengthen Russian relations with Minsk. Belarus played a pivotal part in his "special military operation" as Lukashenko authorised the use of his territory to launch the attack on northern Ukraine.

Putin suggested that "never again will we need the West" thanks to the new agreement struck with trusted ally Lukashenko. The Russian President said: "In this situation, when Western countries have launched a total sanction war against Russia and Belarus, it is important we boost our integration with the union states. "We will fight against any attempts to stall our development or to isolate us artificially from the global economy. "I think this is useless – Russia and Belarus are linked closely through economic relations, traditional links and threads, including through our industrial cooperation. READ THE LATEST UPDATES IN EXPRESS.CO.UK'S UKRAINE WAR LIVE BLOG

Putin announced a series of new arrangements for a stronger partnership with Minsk

Putin said Belarus and Russia will stand together against Western pressure

"This attempt will not be successful, we will only become stronger because we will continue to develop our own competencies and we will not self-isolate." The Russian President also drew an analogy between Gagarin's first space flight 61 years ago and Russia's defiance today. He said: "The sanctions were total, the isolation was complete but the Soviet Union was still first in space. "We don't intend to be isolated. It is impossible to severely isolate anyone in the modern world - especially such a vast country as Russia." READ MORE: NATO country poised to supply Ukraine with Russian-built jets in Putin hammer blow

Russia in new financial blow as Moscow faces 11 percent GDP fall

Russian officials repeatedly cited the Soviet Union's success in space as a cautionary tale about Moscow's ability to achieve spectacular results despite the odds However, Russia's economy is much smaller compared to the Soviet Union's – which was once a superpower capable of challenging the United States economically and technologically. In 2021, Russia's nominal economic output was just $1.6 trillion and only around 7 percent of the $22.9 trillion US economy. Putin also claimed Russia's financial system was operating well and the West's economic "blitzkrieg" had failed, but said the risk of harm from sanctions could rise in the medium and longer-term, Russian news agencies reported. DON'T MISS:

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Russia has been heavily targeted by Western sanctions since Ukraine's invasion