West sees escalation in North Korean troops against Ukraine
translated from dutch: https://nos.nl/artikel/2541588-westen-ziet-escalatie-in-noord-koreaanse-troepen-tegen-oekraine
* Translator's note: Chairman of the State Affairs Committee of the DPRK, Commander-in-Chief of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong-un is sending 12,000 soldiers to Russia for Putin's war of annihilation against Ukraine, while the vast majority of the population of North Korea is on the verge of starvation from poverty. The Russian population, on the other hand, complains about high losses due to the cruel and human-contemptuous war of annihilation, which they secretly call a meat grinder. Two monsters who are very aware of their horrific legacy.
North Korea's interference in Ukraine is 'a serious threat to the international community
South Korea has summoned the Russian ambassador to the country and demanded the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops from Russia. According to South Korea, around 1,500 soldiers have already arrived in Russia and are being trained to fight in Ukraine.
South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun warned that Seoul "will respond with all available measures."
According to the Russian ambassador, the cooperation falls within the framework of international law. It is unclear what cooperation this means, because neither Russia nor North Korea has confirmed that troops will fight with the Russian army.
International condemnation
NATO chief Mark Rutte says he is concerned about the developments. He says it would be a "significant escalation" if North Korea sent troops to Ukraine to fight alongside the Russians. He called South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol about cooperation with the country.
The United States and Japan have also condemned military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. South Korea is an ally of the United States and NATO and supports Ukraine. The European Commission said it was "very concerned" by the reports.
“This only illustrates how determined Russia is to escalate its illegal actions against Ukraine, that Russia is absolutely not interested in seeking peaceful solutions,” the spokesperson said. Foreign Minister Veldkamp also warns that the deployment of North Korean troops would represent a "serious escalation".
Tires tightened
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the Russian president has strengthened ties with North Korea. There are strong suspicions that Kim supplies weapons to Russia. The United States and Ukraine say they have also been deployed on the battlefield. North Korea and Russia deny this.
According to the South Korean intelligence service NIS, North Korea wants to deploy 12,000 troops in Russia. "This is a serious threat not only to South Korea, but also to the international community," the South Korean deputy minister responded to the news.
According to the intelligence service, North Korean soldiers would be provided with Russian uniforms and IDs from Siberian regions such as Yakutia and Buryatia. The local population in Siberia partly has similar physical characteristics as the population in North Korea.
Moscow-Pyongyang cooperation
During Putin's visit to Pyongyang in June, Russia and North Korea announced that the countries want to cooperate more economically and militarily. Putin also said that the agreement states that Russia and North Korea will help each other if either country experiences aggression against one of them.
If North Korean troops are actually fighting in Ukraine, it will be the first time that North Korean troops are active on European soil.
* following the last message: https://nos.nl/l/2541251
* the Reuters article on the topic: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/what-we-know-about-north-korean-troops-joining-russias-war-ukraine-2024-10-21/