Polish, Latvian and Lithuanian presidents on Friday refused to pose for a family photo with world leaders at the COP28 climate summit over the presence of Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko.

The heads of states and governments that gathered in Dubai for the UN climate talks were joined by Lukashenko, accused by the European Union of cracking down on the Belarusian opposition and allying with Russia.

The leaders of Lithuania, Latvia and Poland — all staunch supporters of Ukraine as it fights off Russian aggression — cited Lukashenko's presence as reason for boycotting the traditional opening photograph at COP28.

"This is called a family photo. Lukashenko does not belong to the family which we want to be a part of," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said in a statement sent to AFP.

"It would be hypocritical to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the head of state that has become a staging ground for Russia's aggression against Ukraine and to discuss the future of the world and climate change as if nothing happened," Nauseda added.

Lithuania and its fellow Baltic state Latvia, former Soviet republics, are among the most vocal critics of Russia and the Kremlin and proponents of increased military aid to Kyiv.

Both countries as well as Poland have accused the authorities in Minsk of orchestrating an influx of migrants trying to cross into the EU in an attempt to destabilize the region.