Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening political and economic integration between their two countries.

Utilising a joint appearance in Volgograd, they called for enhanced cooperation under the Union State framework and to defend Soviet wartime legacy against what they described as Western revisionism.

Speaking at a bilateral meeting, Lukashenko urged that the relationship between Belarus and Russia should surpass that of a single nation-state. “We have exactly the same idea: one Fatherland from Brest to Vladivostok. So it happens that two states have been established here, and we should do our utmost to make our relations in this Fatherland even closer than in a unitary state,” he said, according to Belarus Today.

The Belarusian leader framed the integration effort as a long-term historical mission. “I am sure that our children and other generations will still appreciate what we are doing here. It's not easy for us: both on the left and on the right we are being bombed. And all of our decisions are aimed at the unity of our peoples,” he added.

The meeting took place during commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in the Battle of Stalingrad. The symbolic setting was chosen to highlight what both leaders described as shared historical roots and a unified geopolitical vision.

In a separate address at the Great Heritage, Common Future international forum, Lukashenko accused Western governments and historians of attempting to rewrite the history of the Second World War by downplaying the Soviet Union’s role. “Western specialists in Belarusian history, in our Soviet, and Russian history write that we are speaking about our heroes too pretentiously and exaggerate the scale of their heroic deeds,” he said.

“They hint that we should speak about our bad deeds as well. And not to forget the good Germans. They try to teach us pseudo-objectivity from across the ocean,” Lukashenko continued, criticising what he described as efforts to impose foreign narratives on Soviet history.

Lukashenko also condemned neighbouring Poland for allegedly excluding Belarus and Russia from commemorative events related to the liberation of Auschwitz. “[They are holding events] without our participation. The German media report, you won’t believe it, that this concentration camp was liberated by American troops. All in all, they do everything to erase the memory of our Great Victory, of our winners,” he said.

He concluded by urging renewed efforts to defend Soviet wartime legacy. “We must do more to preserve our history. We should never be complacent and trust only in actions, not words,” Lukashenko said.