MOSCOW: Belarus strongman and close Kremlin ally Alexander Lukashenko said during a visit to China Wednesday that his country fully supports an initiative put forward by Beijing to achieve peace in Ukraine.

“Today’s meeting is taking place at a very difficult time, which calls for new, unorthodox approaches and responsible political decisions,” Lukashenko told China’s President Xi Jinping.

“They should be aimed at first and foremost preventing a slide into a global confrontation that will see no winners,” he said.

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“That is why Belarus is actively coming up with peace proposals, and fully supports the initiative on international security you have put forward,” Lukashenko told Xi in remarks released by his aides.

He also said that Belarus wanted 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 prominent role on the sidelines of Moscow’s year-long offensive in Ukraine.

China has framed itself as a neutral party for much of the war, while retaining 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 its Ukraine assault, but has so far held back on sending Belarusian troops to Ukraine.