Putin: said to have reeled in a 21kg pike; Lukashenko: has an uneasy relationship with Putin, although Belarus and Russia are allies.
Reuters/Minsk
Days after Russian President Vladimir Putin landed a giant pike, his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko has boasted about a man-sized catfish.
Putin’s office said last week that he had caught a 21kg pike while fishing in Siberia, describing it as a “gigantic animal”.
The latest in a string of macho exploits by the Kremlin leader drew scepticism and mockery on social media.
Yesterday, Belarussian state television showed Lukashenko telling a government meeting about his own catch, including a 57kg catfish hauled out of the Pripyat river.
He did not mention Putin or say when he had landed the monster.
“It was as long as I am tall,” said Deputy Prime Minister Mikhail Rusiy.
Although Belarus is Russia’s closest ally, the relationship between Lukashenko, 58, and Putin, 60, has long been uneasy.
The pair have exchanged critical and sometimes sarcastic comments about each other for years as Lukashenko has resisted the strengthening of Russia’s influence over its smaller neighbour.
