Kateryna Chornovol23:53, 23.10.24

If North Korean soldiers join Russia’s war against Ukraine, it would be “an unprecedented level of military cooperation” between Russia and the DPRK, Kirby said.

Thousands of North Korean soldiers currently in Russia will be sent to the Kursk region next week to confront the Ukrainian Defense Forces, the Financial Times reports , citing Ukrainian intelligence officials.

White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said North Korean troops were training at military facilities in eastern Russia. He said it was unclear whether they would participate in combat in Ukraine, although “the possibility is certainly very concerning.”

If North Korean soldiers join Russia’s war against Ukraine, it would be “an unprecedented level of military cooperation” between Russia and North Korea, Kirby said. The White House adviser added that it would have significant security implications for Europe and the Indo-Pacific region.

Ukraine’s Western allies are increasingly concerned about North Korea’s role in the war, the FT reports. Pyongyang has provided Russia with missiles and millions of artillery shells in the past. But the deployment of North Korean troops marks the first time a foreign army has joined the war.

As Kirby noted, Moscow’s possible “reliance” on North Korean troops “would be a sign of weakness, not strength, on the part of the Kremlin.”

(C)UNIAN 2024