ISTANBUL

China on Sunday called Wagner's decision to withdraw from Russia's southern military district Moscow's "internal affair."

This is Russia's internal affairs," China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Beijing was responding to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's proposal to stop Wagner's operations in Russia and "take further measures to ease tensions," the statement said.

"As a friendly neighbor and a comprehensive strategic cooperation partner in the new era, China supports Russia in maintaining national stability and achieving development and prosperity," the statement added.

The statement came hours after Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang held talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko in Beijing on Sunday.

The two sides exchanged views on "Sino-Russian relations and international and regional issues of common concern," the Chinese Foreign Ministry earlier said in a brief statement.

No further details of the meeting between the two diplomats were provided.

The meeting came a day after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner paramilitary group, called off his advance on Moscow and will leave Russia for Belarus.

Tensions between the Kremlin and Wagner escalated after Prigozhin accused Russian forces of attacking his fighters.

Russia denied those claims late Friday and issued arrest orders for Prigozhin.

Prigozhin has, in recent months, repeatedly accused the Russian Defense Ministry and Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu of not supplying sufficient arms to the paramilitary group.