Belarusian strongman and close Kremlin ally Alexander Lukashenko said during his visit to China on Wednesday that his country fully supports the initiative proposed by Beijing to achieve peace in Ukraine.
“Today’s meeting is taking place at a very difficult time, which requires a new unorthodox approach and responsible political decisions,” Lukashenko told Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“They must aim at the first and foremost to prevent sliding into a global confrontation that will not see a winner,” he said.
“That is why Belarus is actively making peace proposals, and fully supports the international security initiatives you have taken,” Lukashenko told Xi in comments released by his aide.
He also said that Belarus wants to increase technological cooperation with China.
The state visit to the Chinese capital by Lukashenko – a staunch ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin – comes as Beijing plays an increasingly important role in the wake of Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine.
China has framed itself as a neutral party to many wars while maintaining close ties with Russia, and last week unveiled a 12-point paper to bring peace.
Lukashenko allowed Russia to use Belarus as a staging ground for attacks on Ukraine but so far has not sent Belarusian troops to Ukraine.