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 war in Ukraine insisting it’s a impartial get together and calling for dialogue between the 2 sides.
It additionally follows allegations by the US and NATO that Beijing may very well 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 mentioned he was trying ahead to assembly together with his “previous good friend” Xi.
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He additionally praised Beijing’s place paper as “a sworn statement to its peaceable overseas coverage in addition to a brand new and unique step that can have a far-reaching influence all around the world”, Xinhua added.
“At this time, not a single situation on the planet may be resolved with out China,” Lukashenko mentioned.
Xi has spoken to Putin a number of instances for the reason that warfare started, however has not completed so together with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Lukashenko is an in depth ally of Putin and has backed Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
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China has repeatedly declared a impartial stance on the battle, however has lengthy supported Moscow with non-lethal assist, largely within the type of bolstered commerce, to maintain Putin’s warfare machine operating. The U.S. authorities, in the meantime, has voiced increasing concern that China might resolve to start out supplying Russia with deadly assist, equivalent 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 mentioned he was prepared to take action once more if Minsk felt threatened.
Kyiv has additionally expressed considerations that Belarus might once more help 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.
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 help for Russia’s warfare.
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The bloc has hit Belarus with a number of waves of sanctions since Lukashenko launched a brutal 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, mentioned in an announcement.
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