Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko visited Russia and China this week, holding talks with Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping following recent public exchanges with Ukraine.
Alexander Lukashenko met Russian President Vladimir Putin for two days of talks at the Valdai residence between Moscow and St Petersburg. The visit was initially unannounced and drew speculation due to tensions with Kyiv.
Lukashenko then traveled to Beijing where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday. Lukashenko told Xi that being in China was “like coming home”, according to Belarusian journalists.
Xi said China supported Belarus in preserving its state sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. He added that China and Belarus must maintain strategic dialogue and continue to develop bilateral relations at a high level.
Ukraine’s leadership believes Russia seeks to pressure Belarus into greater involvement in the war, though Lukashenko has sought to avoid this while having allowed Russian forces to use Belarusian territory for the 2022 invasion.
