Belarus has appointed a new ambassador to Russia, state news agencies reported on Friday, as Moscow and Minsk continue to forge closer ties amid their mounting isolation from the West. In a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, Lukashenko said the two leaders had agreed to appoint Dmitry Krutoi as Minsk’s new envoy to Moscow, the Belta state news agency reported, citing Lukashenko’s press office. (https://wsau.com/2022/07/22/belarus-appoints-new-envoy-to-moscow/) Krutoi was deputy head of Belarus’ presidential administration and was previously involved in integration projects with Russia – a broad list of policy areas the two countries have agreed to move closer together on. Krutoi replaces Vladimir Semashko, a veteran Belarusian diplomat who had been ambassador to Russia since 2018.