Follow RT on Jonny Tickle Russia and Belarus are not just friends but have a fraternal bond. That's according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who rubbished claims from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that Minsk has no pals on the world stage. Speaking to the press, Peskov said that Lukashenko's statement "can hardly apply to Russia" as they are members of the same Union State. "Rather, we are not friends, but brothers," he clarified. The Union State agreement, signed in 1999, officially linked the two nations with the goal of greater political, economic and social integration. However, in the years since, many of its proposals have not been realized. According to the treaty's text, the nations planned to create a joint parliament, currency, court and cabinet.