Is Putin’s key ally ill? Is Putin's key ally in the Ukraine war seriously ill? Beloatian President Alexander Lukashenko missed an annual ceremony where young people swear allegiance to the flag and instead his prime minister shared a message from him. In fact, he's not been seen in public since the 9th of May, Victory Day in Russia, where he skipped a state lunch with Putin. Reports pointed out how tired he looked, and this bandage on his right hand. Allies from former Soviet countries walked to lay flowers, but it seemed that Lukashenko needed a lift. This has sparked speculation about what's happened to him. Some say he's in hospital just outside the capital, Minsk. But state media has responded with a photo of him at a military base. Lukashenko's ruled Belarus since 1994, and in the West, he's often dubbed Europe's last dictator. With Putin's backi...