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Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Wednesday it was “rubbish” that North Korean troops are being deployed to support Russia’s offensive in Ukraine — but conceded that would be a major escalation of the conflict.
In an interview with the BBC, Lukashenko dismissed reports of North Korea sending soldiers to fight alongside Russian forces, but said: “It would be a step towards the escalation of the conflict if the armed forces of any country, even Belarus, were on the contact line.”
Lukashenko’s comments come after both the U.S. and NATO said they have evidence that North Korean troops have already been deployed to Russia.
The Belarusian dictator, a key backer of Vladimir Putin and his war in Ukraine, said the Russian president has not asked for Belarusian troops to join the invasion. But Belarus has been far from detached from Russia’s war — and Russia moved a batch of tactical nuclear weapons to its neighbor in June 2023.
Asked if Putin is ready to use the nukes stationed in Belarus, Lukashenko insisted his ally would “never” use the weapons without the Belarusian leader’s consent.
Lukashenko said his country is “completely ready” to use the weapons if necessary, but “only if the boot of one [foreign] soldier steps into Belarus.”
“We have no plans to attack anyone,” he added.
