Lukashenko does not believe that Putin is able to protect him, so he seeks alternative in China - international expert Kraiev

He expressed this opinion on the Espreso TV channel.

"Now Xi Jinping and official China are very cautious about contacts with the Russians. For them, every contact with the Russians is a provocation against the United States. That is why they measure such contacts with mathematical precision. China understands that they need to put pressure on the United States, but they have no right and cannot overdo it," Kraiev explained.

The expert believes that the self-proclaimed president of Belarus has begun to look for alternative options for his own security guarantees

"As for Lukashenko, it looks like he really asked for a visit to China. It is hard for me to say what exactly he will do there. Over the past week, we have seen a certain divergence in the positions of Lukashenko and Putin. Russian publics have recently been describing Lukashenko in very negative terms because he refused to involve Belarusian units in the war against Ukraine. I have the impression that Lukashenko's visit to China is his own policy. He realizes that Putin will not be able to ensure his physical and political security. So he started looking for alternative options," he added.

• February 25, Alexander Lukashenko announces that he will pay a visit to China from February 28 to March 2

• February 26 ISW suggests that Alexander Lukashenko's visit to China may be related to Beijing's plans to supply Russia with weapons