Once a negotiator for Ukraine, he now oversees Lukashenko. What do we know about Vladimir Putin's right-hand man, Boris Gryzlov?

Boris Gryzlov is a well-known Russian politician and diplomat who has led the Russian party "United Russia" and served as Russia's representative in the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk. He was also referred to as Putin's right-hand man. Before the onset of the full-scale invasion, Gryzlov was appointed as ambassador to Minsk, seemingly to keep an eye on Lukashenko.

"Telegraph" will reveal what is known about Putin's right-hand man Boris Gryzlov and where he is now.

Boris Gryzlov — what is known about him

Russian politician and diplomat Boris Gryzlov was born on December 15, 1950, in Vladivostok, making him 74 years old now. He began his political career in the 1990s and was elected to the State Duma in December 1999. From May 2000, he served as the State Duma's representative for relations with the G7 countries. On March 28, 2001, he was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia.

Since the 2000s and up to the present day, Boris Gryzlov has remained a significant figure in Russian politics and diplomacy, being part of Putin's close circle of allies. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, on December 26, 2015, he was appointed as Russia's plenipotentiary representative in the Trilateral Contact Group for negotiations in Minsk. It is known that in early 2016, he visited Kyiv.

During the Minsk negotiation process, Gryzlov's role was described as negligible, suggesting that he was unable to change the situation and merely followed orders from the Kremlin. This was reported at the time by the Ukrainian ambassador to Belarus and Ukraine's representative in the trilateral group in Minsk, Roman Bessmertny.

Before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in January 2022, Putin sent his right-hand man Gryzlov to Minsk. He was appointed as Russia's ambassador to Belarus, seemingly to oversee Lukashenko when Russia deployed troops on Ukrainian territory.

Earlier, "Telegraph" reported on what Yanukovych's inauguration was like 15 years ago. A mix-up with the doors, a thief's habit, and a refusal to sing the Ukrainian anthem.