'Rubbish': Putin's friend Lukashenko dismisses report of North Korean troops involved in Russia-Ukraine war

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko warned that deploying foreign forces in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war would escalate the conflict. In an interview with the Belarusian state broadcaster, Lukashenko, who is touted as a close ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urged both warring nations to refrain from deploying foreign forces.

Interestingly, the proclamation from Lukashenko came after the United States for the first time said that it had seen evidence of North Korean troops in Russia. Meanwhile, South Korean lawmakers revealed that around 3,000 North Korean troops are currently in Russia.

In a separate interview with BBC, the Belarusian president who is touted as “Europe’s last dictator” maintained that any use of Russian nuclear weapons now deployed in Belarus would require his personal assent.

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Lukashenko denies deployment of North Korean troops

While Lukashenko urged foreign parties to stay away from the war, he rejected reports that North Korean troops were in Russia. “Rubbish,” Lukashenko told the BBC on the sidelines of the summit of the BRICS grouping of nations. “Knowing his character, Putin would never try to persuade another country to involve its army in Russia’s special operation in Ukraine.”

The Belarusian president, who has been in power since 1994, also maintained that he would run again in presidential elections scheduled to take place in January. “If…my supporters tell me it has to be done, I will run,” he said.

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While speaking on the war, Lukashenko emphasised that foreign troops, “would be a step towards the escalation of the conflict if the armed forces of any country, even Belarus, were on the contact line.”

Meanwhile, Russia on Monday attempted to sidestep the question of whether North Korean troops were going to fight in Ukraine. However, the Kremlin maintained that it was Moscow’s sovereign right to develop ties with Pyongyang.

While speaking to BBC, Lukashenko assured that Putin would never use weapons stationed in Belarus without his consent. He said he was “completely ready” to use them - “otherwise, why have these weapons? But only if the boot of one (foreign) soldier steps into Belarus. We have no plans to attack anyone.”

It is pertinent to note that nuclear weapons were withdrawn from Belarus after the end of Soviet rule. However, Russia deployed tactical missiles in the country in June 2023, by mutual agreement.

With inputs from agencies.