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Pentagon in Ukraine’s Support If North Korea Gets Involved
The Pentagon mentioned on Monday that there will be no additional restrictions on Ukraine’s use of American weapons in the event of North Korea joining the conflict, while NATO reported that North Korean military units had been sent to Russia’s Kursk region.
The deployment of North Korea is raising worries in the West that the 2-1/2-year war in Ukraine may expand, despite focus shifting to the Middle East.
It could indicate Russia’s strategy to counter growing battlefield defeats and keep achieving gradual advancements in eastern Ukraine.
Mark Rutte Strong Statement
“The deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a threat to both Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte informed the press following discussions with a South Korean delegation regarding the North Korean troop placements.
U.S. President Joe Biden described the situation as “very dangerous.”
The Pentagon estimated that there are now 10,000 North Korean troops in eastern Russia for training, up from the previous estimate of 3,000 troops last Wednesday.
Sabrina Singh Remarks
“A portion of those soldiers have already moved closer to Ukraine, and we are increasingly concerned that Russia intends to use these soldiers in combat or to support combat operations against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk Oblast near the border with Ukraine,” Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh referred to a Russian area with a specific term.
Ukrainian military intelligence reported the presence of the initial North Korean troops in the Kursk border area, which Ukrainian forces have been in since a significant incursion in August.
However, the Pentagon refused to verify if North Korean troops had already reached Kursk.
“It is likely that they are moving in that direction towards Kursk. But I don’t have more details just yet,” Singh said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the action as a escalation by Russia.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that Kyiv had been alerting about the deployment for weeks, and blamed allies for not providing a robust reaction.
“The bottom line: listen to Ukraine. The solution: lift restrictions on our long-range strikes against Russia now,” he said on X.
Initially, the Kremlin disregarded reports of a North Korean deployment as “fake news”. However, Putin did not confirm on Thursday that North Korean troops were in Russia, stating that it was up to Moscow to decide on how to carry out a partnership treaty with Pyongyang.
A North Korean foreign ministry official neither confirmed nor denied reports about troops being sent to Russia, but suggested that if this had occurred, it would adhere to international standards.
After their meeting in Russia’s Far East last year, North Korea and Russia have strengthened their military relationship. In June, they came together once more to finalize a wide-ranging strategic partnership which involves a shared defense agreement.
Rutte Statement
Rutte said that the North Korean troops being sent was evidence of Putin’s increasing desperation.
“Over 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in Putin’s war and he is unable to sustain his assault on Ukraine without foreign support,” Rutte said.
Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff for the president of Ukraine, stated that sanctions by themselves would not be a proper reaction to North Korean involvement.
He stated that Kyiv requires “weapons and a clear plan to prevent North Korea’s expanded involvement”.
“The enemy understands strength. Our allies have this strength,” Yermak said on X.
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