Russian-installed Donetsk chief meets Belarus president, Kyiv protests

FILE PHOTO: Denis Pushilin, Moscow-installed acting leader of the Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine's Donetsk region, attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia April 6, 2023. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Kremlin via REUTERS/File Photo

(Reuters) -The Russian-installed head of the Moscow-controlled part of Ukraine's Donetsk region met Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk on Tuesday and said he had discussed ways of boosting trade.

The visit by Denis Pushilin prompted Ukraine to protest about what it called a "blatantly unfriendly act" by Belarus, a close ally of Russia that allowed Moscow's forces to use its territory as a launching pad for the February 2022 invasion.