Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Russian President Putin, will make a state go to to China from February 28 to March 2.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will go to China on February 28 for a state go to, the Chinese language overseas ministry mentioned on Saturday.
Lukashenko is an in depth ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has backed Moscow’s invasion of Ukrainewith Belarus depending on its neighbor each financially and politically.
“On the invitation of Chinese language President Xi Jinping, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko can pay a state go to to China from February 28 to March 2,” spokesperson Hua Chunying mentioned.
Final September, Xi and Lukashenko introduced an “all-weather” strategic partnership, after they met within the Uzbek metropolis of Samarkand.
A 12 months in the past, Belarus, which shares a border with Ukraine and Russia, allowed Russia to make use of its territory as a launchpad for its assault on Ukraine. Lukashenko mentioned earlier this month that Belarus was prepared to take action once more.
Kyiv has voiced issues for months that Belarus might be part of the warfare on Russia’s aspect, a possible menace that has compelled it to divert troops to defend the north of Ukraine whereas waging warfare with Russia within the east and south.
In a cellphone name on Friday, Chinese language overseas minister Qin Gang informed his Belarusian counterpart Sergei Aleinik that Beijing was prepared to work with Minsk to deepen mutual political belief, the Chinese language overseas ministry mentioned.
China may even proceed to assist Belarus in sustaining its nationwide stability, and can oppose makes an attempt by “exterior forces” to intrude in its inside affairs or impose “unlawful” unilateral sanctions on Minsk, Qin informed Aleinik.
China’s peace proposal
China on Friday launched a 12-point place paper on the battle, calling for pressing peace talks and a “political settlement” to the Ukraine disaster.
Timed to coincide with the primary anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the paper urges all events to “assist Russia and Ukraine in working in the identical course and resuming direct dialogue as shortly as doable”.
Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskyy welcomed some parts of the Chinese language proposal, however mentioned solely the nation the place a warfare is being fought must be the initiator of a peace plan.
Zelenskyy mentioned he was planning to fulfill Xi and famous Beijing’s plan appeared to point out that “there’s respect for our territorial integrity, safety points”.
Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Zelenskyy, mentioned any plan to finish Russia’s warfare in Ukraine should contain the withdrawal of Moscow’s troops again to Ukraine’s 1991 borders on the time of the Soviet Union’s collapse.
French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned he would go to China in “early April”, and known as on Beijing to “assist us stress Russia” to finish the warfare in Ukraine, the AFP information company reported on Saturday.
Macron mentioned peace was solely doable if “the Russian aggression was halted, troops withdrawn and territorial sovereignty of Ukraine and its folks was revered”.
