Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has dismissed claims of North Korean troops being deployed in Russia, arguing that no evidence supports such reports. Speaking at the Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security, he accused Western nations of exaggerating the situation to exert pressure on the EU and justify NATO’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
“They are inflating it for what? To finally put pressure on the European Union and to introduce NATO troops into the war in Ukraine,” Lukashenko stated. He emphasized the need for all parties to engage in unconditional negotiations.
Since Lukashenko took power three decades ago, Belarus has been a close ally of Russia. His administration has faced numerous Western sanctions following the controversial 2020 elections and the violent crackdown on opposition protests. Relying on Russian financial support and energy resources, Lukashenko has allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to station troops and missiles in Belarus, which have been used in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
At the same conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced plans for Moscow to sign a treaty aimed at enhancing its strategic partnership with Iran, highlighting cooperation in defense and security. He criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s peace proposals, labeling them as “stupid” and a “dead-end,” and called Zelenskyy’s recent victory plan “schizophrenic.”
Lavrov argued that stability in the Eurasian region can only be achieved through long-term security guarantees. However, the Kremlin has yet to provide evidence supporting its claims regarding NATO’s alleged aggressive intentions toward Russia, which has been a central justification for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.