Vladimir Putin's close ally Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on China's 3-day visit
2 min read . Updated: 28 Feb 2023, 08:05 PM IST
Premium- Belarus has strongly backed Moscow and allowed its territory to be used as a staging ground for the initial invasion of Ukraine a year ago.
Nearly to weeks after stating that his country would 'only' join Russia's offensive in Ukraine if his country was attacked first by Kyiv's army, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was expected to arrive in Beijing on 28 February for a state visit.
Though China has said that this 3-day visit by close ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin is an “opportunity to promote the further development of all-around cooperation between the two countries," but concerns have risen as China is considering providing military assistance to Russia.
Earlier, China has called the US allegations a smear campaign and accused Washington and its allies of fuelling the conflict by providing Ukraine with defensive weapons.
“The US has no right to point fingers at China-Russia relations. We will by no means accept the US pressure and coercion," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Monday at a daily briefing.
Despite claiming to maintain a neutral stance in the year-old war, China has also said it has a “no-limits friendship" with Russia and has refused to criticise Moscow's invasion. Apart from this, China has even accused the US and NATO of provoking the conflict and condemned sanctions levelled against Russia.
Meanwhile, Belarus has strongly backed Moscow and allowed its territory to be used as a staging ground for the initial invasion of Ukraine a year ago. Currently, Belarus continues to host Russian troops, warplanes and other weapons.
On the other side, China has long retained close ties with Lukashenko, Belarus' only president since the position was created in 1994..
On 16 February, Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko said that his country may join Russia's offensive in Ukraine in case it was attacked first by Kyiv's army.
"I'm ready to fight together with the Russians from the territory of Belarus in one case only: if so much as one soldier from (Ukraine) comes to our territory with a gun to kill my people," AFP quoted Lukashenko as saying in a rare press conference with foreign journalists in Minsk.
With agency inputs.