Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko met with the head of the Moscow-backed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), drawing spirited protests from Ukrainian officials.
Kyiv and its Western allies reject the legitimacy of the DPR and view the Donetsk region as a Russian-occupied territory.
In a statement, Ukraine’s foreign ministry condemned the meeting between Lukashenko and DPR head Denis Pushilin, which was held in Minsk on April 18. 
The ministry described the meeting as “an attempt to legitimize the representative of the Russian occupation administration in Donetsk.”
Volunteer soldiers prepare to fire towards Russian positions close to Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on March 8, 2023. (Libkos/AP Photo)
Unlike most Western capitals, Belarus—a key Russian ally—maintains relations with the DPR and the neighboring Moscow-backed Luhansk People’s Republic….