MINSK (Realist English). On April 15, Sergey Naryshkin, Director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), visited Belarus for high-level talks with President Alexander Lukashenko and senior Belarusian security officials. The visit included a joint session of the SVR and the Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB), focused on international security threats and intelligence coordination.
Naryshkin personally conveyed Vladimir Putin’s congratulations to Lukashenko on his recent re-election, calling the outcome “a strong confirmation of support from Belarusian society.” The SVR chief said the election results reflect approval of both domestic policies and Belarus’s current foreign policy course.
During their meeting, Lukashenko emphasized the importance of close ties between intelligence agencies amid what he described as a turbulent international environment. “It’s crucial to synchronize our watches — especially now,” he said, adding that such personal messages from Moscow remain important, even in the age of frequent phone diplomacy.
A key theme of the visit was the joint response to what both sides view as growing pressure from Western intelligence services. According to Naryshkin, NATO and EU countries are leveraging the ongoing war in Ukraine to attempt to destabilize the Russia-Belarus alliance, formally known as the Union State. “We are observing systematic efforts to undermine our stability using NATO and EU intelligence tools. This is a direct threat to our security,” he said.
He also warned of increasing provocations from neighboring countries. “Tensions from the Western direction pose a real risk. In case of escalation, Poland and the Baltic States will be the first to face consequences,” Naryshkin added.
The SVR and KGB agreed to deepen intelligence cooperation, particularly in terms of operational data sharing and coordinated external surveillance. While both agencies have worked together for years, officials said these mechanisms would be strengthened further in light of current geopolitical pressures.
The visit comes just two weeks after Lukashenko’s new term officially began and amid a spike in diplomatic friction between Belarus and Poland. One week before Naryshkin’s arrival, Belarus’s Foreign Ministry accused Warsaw of “preparing provocations” and reported increased drone activity near the shared border.
Naryshkin’s high-profile trip signals more than routine coordination — it underscores a deepening strategic alignment between the security establishments of Moscow and Minsk. For Lukashenko, it reinforces guarantees of internal stability. For the Kremlin, it affirms Belarus’s role as a dependable partner on Russia’s western flank.
