NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed on Monday October 28 that North Korean troops had been sent to Russia and that North Korean military units were deployed in the Kursk region, where the Ukrainian army carried out a breakthrough in August.
“Strengthening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security“Mark Rutte told journalists after a meeting during which a South Korean delegation transmitted information on this subject to NATO officials and diplomats.
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Mark Rutte judged that this North Korean deployment represented “a significant escalation“ in North Korea's involvement in “Russia's illegal war” a Ukraine, a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and one “dangerous expansion” of the conflict. He also described this deployment as a sign of “growing despair” from Russian President Vladimir Putin. “More than 600,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded in Putin's war, who is unable to continue his assault on Ukraine without foreign support“, he added.
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In response, the Kremlin described this information as “fake news”. Vladimir Putin did not deny on Thursday the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia and declared that the implementation of the partnership treaty between Russia and North Korea only concerned these two countries. A North Korean representative to the United Nations in New York called the information “baseless rumors”.
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Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky, said Monday that new sanctions against North Korea would not be a sufficient response and he again called for Western countries to increase their arms deliveries to Ukraine. “North Korean troops are already in the Kursk region (…) It’s an escalation. Sanctions alone are not enough. We need weapons and a clear plan to prevent North Korea's growing involvement in the war in Europe.”he wrote on X.
