Beijing — Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will arrive in Beijing on Tuesday, kicking off a three-day journey wherein he’ll meet Chinese language counterpart Xi Jinping. The state go to by Lukashenko — a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin — comes after Beijing launched a place paper on Russia’s warfare in Ukraine insisting it’s a impartial get together and calling for dialogue between the 2 sides.
It additionally follows allegations by america and NATO that Beijing might be mulling sending arms to Russia because the battle enters its second 12 months. China has strenuously denied the claims.
Forward of Lukashenko’s go to, Beijing hailed its “all-weather and complete” strategic partnership with Minsk.
In an interview with China’s state-run Xinhua information company, the Belarusian chief stated he was wanting ahead to assembly together with his “outdated good friend” Xi.
He additionally praised Beijing’s place paper as “an affidavit to its peaceable international coverage in addition to a brand new and authentic step that may have a far-reaching impression all around the world”, Xinhua added.
“At present, not a single challenge on this planet will be resolved with out China,” Lukashenko stated.
Xi has spoken to Putin a number of instances because the warfare started, however has not performed so together with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Lukashenko is an in depth ally of Putin and has backed Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
China has repeatedly declared a impartial stance on the battle, however has lengthy supported Moscow with non-lethal help, largely within the type of bolstered commerce, to maintain Putin’s warfare machine operating. The U.S. authorities, in the meantime, has voiced rising concern that China might determine to begin supplying Russia with deadly help, comparable to arms or ammunition.
Belarus shares a border with each Ukraine and Russia, however is financially and politically depending on the Putin administration.
A 12 months after permitting Russia to make use of Belarus as a launch pad for its Ukraine offensive, Lukashenko stated he was prepared to take action once more if Minsk felt threatened.
Kyiv has additionally expressed issues that Belarus may once more assist Moscow in its warfare effort.
In September final 12 months, Xi and Lukashenko met within the Uzbek metropolis of Samarkand, the place they once more hailed their “all-weather” partnership.
Andrei Stasevich/AP
Lukashenko’s Beijing go to follows the announcement on Monday that the European Union had prolonged by one 12 months sanctions on Belarus over Minsk’s repression of political opposition and its assist for Russia’s warfare.
The bloc has hit Belarus with a number of waves of sanctions since Lukashenko launched a brutal marketing campaign of repression in opposition to demonstrators protesting a disputed election in 2020.
The sanctions have been prolonged till February subsequent 12 months, the European Council, which represents 27 EU member states, stated in a press release.