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 international ministry stated on Saturday.

Lukashenko is a detailed ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has backed Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, with Belarus depending on its neighbour each financially and politically.

“On the invitation of Chinese language President Xi Jinping, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko pays a state go to to China from February 28 to March 2,” spokesperson Hua Chunying stated.

Final September, Xi and Lukashenko introduced an “all-weather” strategic partnership, once 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 stated earlier this month that Belarus was prepared to take action once more.

Kyiv has voiced considerations for months that Belarus may be part of the struggle on Russia’s aspect, a possible risk that has compelled it to divert troops to defend the north of Ukraine whereas waging struggle with Russia within the east and south.

In a cellphone name on Friday, Chinese language international 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 international ministry stated.

China may even proceed to help Belarus in sustaining its nationwide stability, and can oppose makes an attempt by “exterior forces” to intervene 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 “help Russia and Ukraine in working in the identical path and resuming direct dialogue as shortly as potential”.

Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskyy welcomed some parts of the Chinese language proposal, however stated solely the nation the place a struggle is being fought needs to be the initiator of a peace plan.

Zelenskyy stated 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, stated any plan to finish Russia’s struggle 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 stated he’ll go to China in “early April”, and known as on Beijing to “assist us stress Russia” to finish the struggle in Ukraine, the AFP information company reported on Saturday.

Macron stated peace was solely potential if “the Russian aggression was halted, troops withdrawn and territorial sovereignty of Ukraine and its folks was revered”.

“The truth that China is participating in peace efforts is an efficient factor,” he stated, asking Beijing “to not provide any arms to Russia”.

He additionally sought Beijing’s assist to “exert stress on Russia to make sure it by no means makes use of chemical or nuclear weapons and it stops this aggression previous to negotiations”.