Lukashenko says North Korean troops fighting for Putin would be ‘escalation’ of Ukraine war – POLITICO

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.