Lukashenko holds talks with Xi Jinping in China after meeting Putin
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Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko arrived in China on June 29 for negotiations with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Lukashenko's press office reported.
Lukashenko's visit comes days after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin leader's residence in Valdai, as Ukraine warns against further involvement of Minsk in the full-scale war in the future.
Xi met with Lukashenko in Beijing's Diaoyutai state guesthouse, with their talks lasting more than three hours, following a red-carpet welcome for Belarusian dictator on June 28
Xi described Belarus-China relations as being at a "historic peak" and called the two countries "iron friends," according to the Belarusian pro-government Telegram channel Pul Pervogo.
While Minsk allowed Russia to use its territory to launch the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Beijing has for years been seen as another Moscow's key ally supplying Russia's war machine, according to multiple reports.
Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Nikolai Snopkov said the two discussed political, economic, and industrial cooperation, with Lukashenko proposing "closer ties across investment and economic sectors."
In recent months, President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly warned Belarus about its deeper military involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine.
In one of his latest statements, Zelensky gave Lukashenko one week to remove communications equipment that Ukraine says was being used to support Russian drone attacks launched from Belarusian territory.
On June 24, Zelensky said the equipment had stopped operating. At the same time, the Ukrainian leader said that the construction of military infrastructure along the Belarus-Ukraine border was "nearing completion," noting the facilities "had no purpose other than military use."
