https://www.scmp.com/rss/522622/feed The latest news and top stories on Alexander Lukashenko. Known for his decades-long authoritarian rule, he has been the de facto leader of Belarus since 1994. He oversees national security foreign policy and economic stability, serving as Commander-in-Chief. His tenure is marked by controversial constitutional changes, suppression of dissent and disputed election victories, drawing international condemnation and sanctions. Lukashenko maintains strong ties with Russia, notably allowing Belarusian... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw a test of a high-thrust solid-fuel engine for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching targets around the globe, touting the development as elevating the country’s “strategic military power to the highest level”, state media said on Sunday. The test of the engine made of composite carbon fibre material produced a maximum thrust of 2,500 kilonewtons, up from 1,971 kilonewtons recorded during a similar experiment last September, the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348280/north-tests-powerful-missile-engine-will-icbm-launch-follow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348280/north-tests-powerful-missile-engine-will-icbm-launch-follow?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 05:49:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea and Belarus’ strongmen leaders signed a “friendship and cooperation” treaty on Thursday after Kim Jong-un gave a lavish welcome to President Alexander Lukashenko on his maiden visit. Besides supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine - around 2,000 North Korean soldiers are thought to have died - both nations are under Western sanctions and are accused of gross human rights violations. The two men met last year in China. “In the modern realities of global transformation - at a time when... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/3348067/north-korea-and-belarus-sign-friendship-treaty-lukashenkos-first-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/3348067/north-korea-and-belarus-sign-friendship-treaty-lukashenkos-first-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 02:08:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea and Belarus’ strongmen leaders signed a “friendship and cooperation” treaty on Thursday after Kim Jong-un gave a lavish welcome to President Alexander Lukashenko on his maiden visit. Besides supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine – around 2,000 North Korean soldiers are thought to have died – both nations are under Western sanctions and are accused of gross human rights violations. The two men met last year in China. “In the modern realities of global transformation – at a time when... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347922/lukashenko-greeted-kim-jong-un-belarus-leaders-first-visit-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347922/lukashenko-greeted-kim-jong-un-belarus-leaders-first-visit-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 23:33:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko freed 250 prisoners on Thursday - the biggest batch to be released so far - in return for a further easing of US sanctions, the US embassy in neighbouring Lithuania said. The releases were part of a bargaining process in which Lukashenko was seeking a normalisation of ties with Washington after years of isolation and sanctions, in exchange for easing repression in the former Soviet state he has led since 1994. Belarusian ‌human rights group Viasna said... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347236/belarus-frees-250-political-prisoners-us-removes-more-sanctions-latest-signs-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347236/belarus-frees-250-political-prisoners-us-removes-more-sanctions-latest-signs-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 03:05:20 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Key allies reacted coolly on Monday to US President Donald Trump’s invite to pay US$1 billion for a permanent spot on his “Board of Peace” for resolving international conflicts, with analysts likening it to a pay-to-play version of the UN Security Council. The White House has asked various world leaders to sit on the board, chaired by Trump himself, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian premier Viktor Orban and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The board’s charter, seen by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340480/allies-tepid-trumps-board-peace-invited-leaders-wondering-how-it-will-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340480/allies-tepid-trumps-board-peace-invited-leaders-wondering-how-it-will-work?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 22:16:21 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has entered active service in Belarus, Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, as the US efforts to broker a deal to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine have entered a pivotal stage. The ministry released a video showing combat vehicles that are part of the mobile intermediate-range ballistic missile system driving across a forest as part of combat training. The ministry’s announcement followed a statement from Belarusian President... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3338194/russias-nuclear-capable-oreshnik-missiles-enter-service-amid-trump-zelensky-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3338194/russias-nuclear-capable-oreshnik-missiles-enter-service-amid-trump-zelensky-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 12:14:20 +0000 Reuters Reuters Moscow is likely stationing new nuclear-capable hypersonic ballistic missiles at a former airbase in eastern Belarus, a development that could bolster Russia’s ability to deliver missiles across Europe, two US researchers have found by studying satellite imagery. The researchers’ assessment broadly aligns with US intelligence findings, said ‌a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share information not authorised for public release. Russian President Vladimir... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3337878/russia-likely-moving-nuclear-hypersonic-missiles-are-hard-intercept-belarus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3337878/russia-likely-moving-nuclear-hypersonic-missiles-are-hard-intercept-belarus?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Dec 2025 06:27:38 +0000 Nikola Mikovic Nikola Mikovic As Russia remains bogged down in Ukraine, Belarus – the Kremlin’s only ally in Europe – seeks to improve relations with the United States. Unwilling to remain completely dependent on its giant neighbour, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko seems to be attempting to revive his well-known “multi-vector” foreign policy, balancing between Moscow, the West and China. But will he succeed? As the year nears its end, the 71-year-old Belarusian strongman has made several “humanitarian” gestures... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3337348/russian-ally-belarus-courting-both-us-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3337348/russian-ally-belarus-courting-both-us-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 12:30:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Belarus’ authoritarian president said on Thursday that Russia had deployed its latest nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system to the country, a move that comes as talks to end the war in Ukraine have entered a crucial phase. President Alexander Lukashenko said the Oreshnik, an intermediate-range ballistic missile system, arrived in the country on Wednesday and is entering combat duty. He did not say how many missiles have been deployed or give any other details. Russian President Vladimir Putin... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3336972/russia-deploys-nuclear-capable-oreshnik-missile-belarus-amid-ukraine-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3336972/russia-deploys-nuclear-capable-oreshnik-missile-belarus-amid-ukraine-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 19:57:32 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump’s envoy John Coale said on Saturday that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko had promised to stop weather balloons flying from his country into Lithuania. “He agreed recently to do everything he could to stop the balloons,” Coale told Reuters in Vilnius, after two days of talks with Lukashenko. The balloons, used by cigarette smugglers, have caused over a dozen closures of Vilnius airport in recent months. Lithuania has accused Belarus of conducting a “hybrid attack”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3336356/belarus-agrees-stop-balloon-flights-lithuania-amid-hybrid-attack-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3336356/belarus-agrees-stop-balloon-flights-lithuania-amid-hybrid-attack-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 18:24:29 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Belarusian authorities have released Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and key opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova from prison, Pavel Sapelka, human rights advocate with the Viasna rights group, confirmed to Associated Press. Their release comes as authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko seeks to improve relations with Washington. The US earlier on Saturday announced lifting sanctions on the country’s potash sector. Potash plays a key role in agriculture, with Belarus being a key... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3336348/belarus-releases-opposition-figure-kolesnikova-nobel-laureate-bialiatski-us-sanctions-relief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3336348/belarus-releases-opposition-figure-kolesnikova-nobel-laureate-bialiatski-us-sanctions-relief?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 14:32:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Lithuania’s government has declared a national emergency over security risks posed by meteorological balloons sent from Russia-allied Belarus that have violated its airspace in recent weeks, while the Belarusian leader called for negotiations on border tensions and said his country “does not need war”. The balloons forced Lithuania to repeatedly shut down its main airport, stranding thousands of people, as Europe remains on alert over previous intrusions into Nato airspace during the war in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335857/lithuania-declares-national-emergency-over-balloons-belarus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335857/lithuania-declares-national-emergency-over-balloons-belarus?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 05:03:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russia attacked Ukraine’s power grid overnight into Sunday, part of a continuing campaign to cripple Ukrainian energy infrastructure before winter. This came as Moscow expressed “extreme concern” over the United States potentially providing Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. Kyiv regional Governor Mykola Kalashnyk said two employees of Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, were wounded in Russian strikes on a substation in the region. Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said energy... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3328716/russian-attacks-ukraines-power-grid-intensify-winter-approaches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3328716/russian-attacks-ukraines-power-grid-intensify-winter-approaches?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 13:35:12 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi A slew of foreign leaders took China’s signature high-speed railway from the northern port city of Tianjin to Beijing on Monday and Tuesday, having departed from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit to attend a Victory Day parade. Seven state leaders arrived on Monday night: President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Maldives Mohamed... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3324061/foreign-leaders-ride-rapid-rails-chinas-technological-prowess-after-sco-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3324061/foreign-leaders-ride-rapid-rails-chinas-technological-prowess-after-sco-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 09:31:46 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Chinese President Xi Jinping called on members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to uphold international fairness and justice while pursuing mutually beneficial economic and cultural cooperation. Xi made the remarks at the official meeting of the SCO leaders during their annual summit in China’s northern city of Tianjin on Monday. Alongside a keynote speech by Xi, leaders from Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Russia gave... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323877/6-takeaways-shanghai-cooperation-organisation-summit-opening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323877/6-takeaways-shanghai-cooperation-organisation-summit-opening?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 05:30:00 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Around 22,000 people poured into central Beijing on the weekend to take part in security preparations and rehearsals for a massive military parade next month to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The rehearsal took place from Saturday evening to early Sunday morning near Tiananmen Square in the heart of the Chinese capital, state news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday. The parade is scheduled for September 3 and will be part of events for the 80th anniversary of the day that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3321374/central-beijing-blocked-chinas-wwii-anniversary-parade-rehearsal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3321374/central-beijing-blocked-chinas-wwii-anniversary-parade-rehearsal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Aug 2025 14:00:09 +0000 dpa dpa Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko has said he is not seeking another term in office. “No, I don’t intend to do that,” Lukashenko said in a video interview released on Friday with the US Time magazine in Minsk. The 70-year-old has ruled Belarus as president since 1994, aligning the country closely with Moscow under Russian President Vladimir Putin. He is due to serve until 2030 after winning another term in January in elections that were seen internationally as neither free nor fair. A... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3321285/putin-ally-lukashenko-says-he-wont-seek-another-term-belarus-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3321285/putin-ally-lukashenko-says-he-wont-seek-another-term-belarus-president?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Aug 2025 17:48:50 +0000