Members of the Korean Veterans Affiliation stage an illustration towards a latest deployment of North Korean troops to Russia, close to the Russian embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Yellow banners learn: “Cease the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia. | Picture credit score: AP
NATO confirmed on Monday (Oct. 28, 2024) that North Korean troops have been despatched to Russia to assist in its practically three-year struggle towards Ukraine and that some have already been deployed to Russia’s Kursk border area, the place Russia has been. struggling to push again a Ukrainian incursion.
“As we speak I can verify that North Korean troops have been despatched to Russia and that North Korean navy items have been deployed to the Kursk area,” NATO Secretary Basic Mark Rutte informed reporters.
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Rutte mentioned the transfer represents “a major escalation” in North Korea’s involvement within the battle and marks “a harmful growth of Russia’s struggle.”
His feedback got here after a high-level South Korean delegation, together with senior navy and intelligence officers in addition to senior diplomats, briefed the alliance’s 32 nationwide ambassadors at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
Rutte mentioned NATO is “actively consulting inside the alliance, with Ukraine and with our Indo-Pacific companions” on the developments and would quickly communicate with South Korea’s president and Ukraine’s protection minister. “We proceed to carefully monitor the state of affairs,” he mentioned.
Including 1000’s of North Korean troopers to Europe’s greatest battle since World Conflict II will improve stress on Ukraine’s drained and overstretched navy, in addition to stoking geopolitical tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the broader Indo-Pacific area, together with Japan. and Australia, Western officers mentioned. say.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is keen to reshape international energy dynamics. He sought to construct a counterweight to Western affect with a summit of BRICS nations, together with the leaders of China and India, in Russia final week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, citing intelligence reviews, claimed final Friday that North Korean troops could be on the battlefield inside days.
He beforehand mentioned his authorities has data that about 10,000 North Korean troops had been getting ready to hitch Russian forces preventing their nation.
Days earlier than Zelenskyy spoke, U.S. and South Korean officers mentioned there was proof that North Korea had despatched troops to Russia.
The US mentioned about 3,000 North Korean troopers had been deployed to Russia for coaching.
Printed – October 28, 2024 06:03 pm IST
