One of Russia's closest allies warned it against sending North Korean troops to war

• The US said it had seen evidence that North Korea had sent troops to Russia.
• Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said deploying North Korean soldiers would lead to escalation.

One of President Vladimir Putin's closest allies this week warned Russia against sending North Korean troops to war.

Speaking to BBC News on Wednesday, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said North Korean troops would be "a step toward the escalation of the conflict."

"Even if we got involved in the war this would be a path to escalation," he added. "Why? 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."

When asked if he believed the reports were true, he said they were likely "rubbish."

"Knowing his character Putin would never try to persuade another country to involve its army in Russia's special operation in Ukraine," he told the BBC.

In another interview with the Russian state-run TV channel, Rossiya 1, cited by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Lukashenko said he didn't believe Russia needed North Korean troops to succeed.

He added that Moscow understood the involvement of North Korean troops would be "undesirable for Russia" and reiterated that it would lead to the deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine.

ISW noted that the Kremlin newswire TASS cited Lukashenko's comments about NATO but failed to report on his views regarding North Korean troops in its coverage.

North Korea is believed to have sent thousands of troops to Russia in a move that could escalate the war in Ukraine, according to officials in South Korea, Ukraine, and the US.

Russian President Vladimir Putin this week appeared to confirm the reports.

When asked about satellite images apparently showing North Korean soldiers on the move, Putin said: "Images are a serious thing. If there are images, then they reflect something."

North Korean troops aiding Russia offers a vital boost for Kim Jong Un and his regime, experts previously told Business Insider.

"It's a win-win situation," Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., a North Korea defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said.

"He's getting paid, getting access to foreign technology. He's getting access to real-world combat information to improve his defensive and offensive capabilities."

Experts have suggested that Russia is likely to be offering economic aid and diplomatic assistance in return.