Western countries want to send troops to Ukraine?

Referring to Western accusations that Russia is allegedly soliciting foreign mercenaries for its military campaign in Ukraine, Mr. Lukashenko said that the United States and its allies should consider their own actions first and bring back all the mercenaries they have sent to support the Ukrainian army.

The Belarusian leader said that Washington and other Western countries may not stop there, and asserted that Western countries are “dreaming” of deploying regular military units to Ukraine.

“Poland has formed… military units on the border ready to enter Ukraine,” Mr. Lukashenko said, calling on the West to acknowledge its own mistakes before blaming others.

For his part, President Putin stressed that Russia does not need foreign forces in Ukraine. President Putin said that up to 300,000 Russian citizens have signed contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry and joined the National Armed Forces amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. He added that Russian military units are also “equipped with modern weapons and equipment.”

The Russian president also dismissed rumors that Moscow was reportedly asking Pyongyang for “volunteers” who could help Russia in Ukraine. “That is complete nonsense,” he said. The rumors emerged as Putin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a visit to Russia this week.

President Putin affirmed that Ukraine widely uses cluster munitions on the battlefield. Mr. Putin also accused the US of using cluster munitions "with the hands of Ukraine." President Putin noted that Washington considers the use of such weapons a crime, but at the same time "they feel comfortable doing it and this is the main problem of international relations today"./.