Analysts say the Kremlin may be using Lukashenka to circumvent sanctions as well as spread its own propaganda.
Alexander Lukashenko may be involved in creating schemes to circumvent the sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation in connection with the military aggression against Ukraine, as part of his official visit to China. This is discussed in the report of the Institute for the Study of War dated February 28.
It is expected that during a three-day stay in Beijing, Lukashenka will sign a large package of agreements on the development of joint projects, trade, economic, investment, humanitarian and political cooperation with China.
Analysts also mentioned that Belarusian defense enterprises can produce weapons, as the country still has access to microchips, optics and other necessary imported goods.
Despite the fact that on February 25, CIA chief William Burns announced that China was considering the possibility of supplying lethal weapons to the Russian Federation, analysts suggested that Beijing could secretly transfer weapons to Moscow through the mediation of Belarus.
The publication says that the Kremlin could also use Lukashenka to promote its information campaign, which aims to achieve negotiations on favorable terms for Russia, as well as delay Western arms supplies to Ukraine to delay a large UAF counteroffensive.
The Kremlin and Lukashenko likely seized on China’s release of a 12-point peace plan to restart an existing Russian information operation that the Kremlin used in December 2022.
Lukashenka’s visit to China
On Tuesday, February 28, Alexander Lukashenko arrived in Beijing on an official visit, as reported by his press service. At the airport, from the Chinese side, he was met by First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu and Chinese Ambassador to Belarus Xie Xiaoyong.
“This visit will be a continuation of the long-term course of building friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation with the People’s Republic of China,” the official website of President Balarusi says.
Lukashenka is expected to stay in China until March 2. During this time, he will hold talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, within which issues of political, trade, economic, investment and humanitarian cooperation between China and Belarus will be raised.
The result of the visit should be the signing of a large package of documents by politicians.
According to CNN on Feb. 28, China has supported Russia’s war in Ukraine in many ways since its inception. In this regard, the US Department of Commerce blacklisted a number of Chinese companies for supporting the Russian Federation and thirteen Chinese organizations “supplied parts for the Iranian drone program.”
Recall that on February 21, Alexander Lukashenko announced his visit to Iran in mid-March 2023. Lukashenko said he expects to reach a “higher level of cooperation” with Iran
