Belarusian dictator Lukashenko gives Putin a voucher for a tractor for his 70th birthday
- Lukashenko gave away the tractor at a meeting of former Soviet leaders
- The Belarusian president told reporters that he has a similar tractor in his garden.
- Lukashenko gave away the voucher in honor of the Belarusian tractor industry
Vladimir Putin today received an unusual gift for his 70th birthday – a coupon for a tractor from the President of Belarus.
President Alexander Lukashenko presented the Russian president with a gift certificate for the tractor as leaders of former Soviet nations gathered at the tsarist-era Konstantin Palace in St. Petersburg.
Lukashenko gave away the vehicle voucher in honor of the Belarusian tractor industry, which has been the country’s pride since Soviet times.
Lukashenko, who has been the ex-Soviet nation’s autocratic leader for nearly three decades, told reporters he has a model in his garden that is similar to the tractor he gave to Putin.
Putin (left) and Lukashenko (right) greet each other at a meeting in Sochi, Russia.
It is unclear how Putin reacted to his gift (file image of a tractor)
It was unclear how the Russian leader responded to the gift, Lukashenko’s office revealed.
Putin did not mention the gift in televised remarks at the beginning of the meeting.
This is not the first time that the Russian president has received a strange birthday present.
Turkmenistan’s autocratic president Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov gave Putin a puppy for his birthday in 2017. The Central Asian Shepherd puppy was a gift to the Russian president on his 65th birthday.
The President of Turkmenistan gave Putin a dog for his 65th birthday in Sochi in 2017
At the meeting between ex-Soviet leaders, Russian leaders spoke about the need to discuss ways to resolve conflicts between ex-Soviet nations.
He also spoke about the need to exchange information between states to combat terrorism, illegal drugs and other crimes.
Leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States, an informal alliance of former Soviet nations, will meet again next week in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
