Lukashenko Warns Against U.S. Efforts to Drive a Wedge Between Russia and China

On Friday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko accused the United States of attempting to create discord between Russia and China.

«It appears to me that they are trying to set the Russians against the Chinese. The Russians cannot allow this to happen,» Lukashenko stated in a message released by his office.

He also remarked that any resolution to the conflict in Ukraine would have mixed consequences for Belarus, indicating that a peace agreement «could be advantageous in some respects, while not so much in others.»

«If all these foreign companies come back here, starting with American firms and followed by European ones, competing in our market won’t be easy. However, everyone requires food,» said Lukashenko.

Before 2020, Belarus was a major fertilizer supplier to the European Union.

In February 2022, Lukashenko permitted Russia to launch its full-scale invasion of Ukraine from Belarusian territory.

Belarus is currently under significant Western sanctions, initially imposed due to a crackdown on anti-government protests following claims of electoral fraud in the 2020 presidential elections, and subsequently for supporting Russia’s military actions in Ukraine.