Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, warned that if reports of North Korean troops being deployed to Russia are accurate, it could provoke Western intervention and potentially escalate into a large-scale war.
Lukashenko Dismisses North Korean Troop Reports as “Rubbish”
In an interview with BBC‘s journalist Steve Rosenberg, Lukashenko dismissed the claims of North Korean troop deployments as “Rubbish. Knowing his character, Putin would never try to persuade another country to involve its army in Russia’s special operation in Ukraine.”
When Rosenberg pressed for clarification, saying, “And if the reports are confirmed?” Lukashenko emphasized, “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 added, “Because you, the Anglo-Saxons, would immediately say that another country had got involved on one side… so NATO troops would be deployed to Ukraine.”
Belarusian Troops’ Role in Ukraine and the Use of Nuclear Weapons
When asked if Putin had ever sought Belarusian military support for the Ukraine conflict, Lukashenko replied, “Never. Neither he (Putin), nor (former Defence Minister) Sergei Shoigu, nor the current Defence Minister Andrei Belousov has ever raised that question.”
However, Belarus played a crucial role in the conflict by allowing Russian forces to partially launch their full-scale invasion of Ukraine from its territory on February 24, 2022.
In response, Lukashenko questioned, “How do you know I gave permission for Belarusian territory to be used?” Rosenberg replied, “Because Belarusian territory was used (for the invasion).” Lukashenko is a dictator who has held power for 30 years since 1994.
He elaborated, “There were exercises going on involving several thousand Russian soldiers. Putin started withdrawing these troops from where they were in southern Belarus, down a road, along the border with Ukraine. At one point he redirected some of these troops to Kyiv. I’m sure they’d been provoked. It’s up to Putin how he withdraws his troops. Via Kyiv. Or he could have gone through Minsk.”
When asked if he had called Putin to clarify the situation, Lukashenko responded, “No. He didn’t call me. And I didn’t call him. These are his troops and he has the right to move them out whichever way he likes.”
Rosenberg interpreted this statement as indicative of the Kremlin’s influence over Belarus.
When the editor asked whether Putin was prepared to use the tactical nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus in the Ukraine war, Lukashenko asserted, “Putin will never use the weapons stationed in Belarus without the Belarusian president’s consent.”
When pressed about whether he was ready to allow the use of nuclear weapons, Lukashenko stated, “I am completely ready. Otherwise, why would we possess such weapons?” He added, “I’m completely ready, otherwise why have these weapons? But only if the boot of one (foreign) soldier steps into Belarus. We have no plans to attack anyone.”
Political Prisoners and Relations with the West
Human rights organizations estimate that there are currently 1,300 political prisoners in Belarus, a claim that Lukashenko has consistently denied.
However, during this interview, he referenced a small number of individuals released in recent months, using the term political prisoners. While analysts interpreted these releases as a gesture to improve relations with the West, Lukashenko refuted this interpretation.
He clarified that the prisoners, mostly elderly or ill individuals, were freed on humanitarian grounds and emphasized that this was not a gesture to improve diplomatic ties. He added that if the West did not seek relations with Belarus, it would manage without them.
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