Disagreements between them were quickly identified.
During an interview Alexander Lukashenko said Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon that Russian President Boris Yeltsin regretted choosing Vladimir Putin as his successor.
In the opinion of Lukashenko, Yeltsin hoped that Putin would constantly come to him for advice - as a mentor and simply a more experienced politician.
However, Lukashenko continued, this did not happen – it is out of Putin's character. For the first time Yeltsin lost his temper, according to the memoirs of Lukashenko, when Putin refused to maintain military bases in Cuba and Vietnam.
At that time, Lukashenko suggested he calm down - to drink a little.
There are many opinions about Yeltsin's attitude towards Putin. For example, Putin's adviser Valentin Yumashev said that Yeltsin was dissatisfied with the fact that Putin had abandoned his liberal course - in particular in economic policy.
The interview that Lukashenko gave to Gordon lasted 2.5 hours. The president and the journalist talked not only about politics, but also about personal stuff.
Photo: strana