Belarusian president accuses Ukraine of provoking a nuclear attack from Russia.

In an interview on Sunday, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko asserted that Ukraine's invasion of Russia is an attempt to provoke Moscow into using nuclear weapons against it.

"An escalation by Ukraine is an attempt to provoke Russia into using asymmetric actions, including nuclear weapons, according to a statement made by a Russian official in an interview with Rossiya. The official stated that Ukraine would be happy if Russia or they used tactical nuclear weapons there, and they would applaud it."

Moscow's top ally accused Kyiv of provoking a nuclear response from Russia in an effort to rally support against Moscow.

""If we had no sympathetic countries left, we would hardly have any allies remaining," Lukashenko stated."

Since the conflict in Ukraine began more than two years ago, concerns over nuclear escalation have intensified due to Putin's warning that anyone who tries to hinder Russia or pose a threat to its people will face immediate and severe consequences.

Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer and author of "Putin’s Playbook," stated on Planet Chronicle Digital that Ukraine's incursion last week could technically justify a tactical nuclear strike under Russian doctrine, as Russia's sovereignty and territorial integrity have been violated.

The expert stated that she does not expect a nuclear attack at present.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Lukashenko has not been the first Putin ally to comment on the threat of nuclear warfare.

Lukashenko last week threatened to use nuclear weapons if the enemy crossed the border of the Union State, stating that there would be no red lines and the response would be immediate.

The Union State is a 1999 agreement between Belarus and Russia that creates a "supranational union" between the two countries, establishing a tight alliance.

Lukashenko's comments were likely coordinated with Putin, according to Koffler.

The Union State comprises Russia and Belarus, and their military doctrines are aligned, with their forces loosely integrated from the command and control standpoint.

Although Minsk has close ties with Russia, it has not yet sent troops into Ukraine to aid Russia in its ongoing invasion, despite allowing Russian soldiers to deploy from its borders into Ukraine.

Belarusian President Lukashenko announced on Sunday that he had relocated one-third of Belarus' military to its border with Ukraine following allegations that Kyiv had positioned approximately 120,000 troops there, according to Reuters, quoting BelTA.

Koffler stated that the objective of this move is likely to create the impression of opening a second front or to position forces for the possibility of doing so on behalf of Russia, thereby endangering Ukrainian forces and making them feel overstretched.

The former DIA intelligence officer stated that Lukashenko's comments serve a second purpose by putting "psychological pressure" on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his government, creating "uncertainty about what the next step will be, as far as Russia-Belarus joint actions."

According to Reuters, approximately 20,000 members of Minsk's fighting force are believed to be part of the Belarusian troops at the border. However, the exact number of Belarusian troops at the border is unclear.

Despite Lukashenko's comments, the situation at the Ukraine-Belarus border remains unchanged, according to Andriy Demchenko, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian border service.

Demchenko stated, according to Reuters, that Lukashenko's rhetoric remains unchanged, consistently intensifying the situation with routine escalation to satisfy the terrorist nation.

"No increase in Belarusian equipment or personnel near our border is being observed."