NATO cannot yet confirm the participation of DPRK troops in the war in Ukraine: Rutte
During a briefing in Brussels, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the North Atlantic Alliance currently cannot officially confirm information about the participation of the North Korean military on the side of Russia in the war against Ukraine. According to him, the Alliance is closely monitoring this situation in cooperation with South Korea and other partners from the Pacific region.
“I want to say now that we cannot confirm these reports, particularly that North Korea is now trying to provide such assistance to Russia,” – said Rutte.
At the same time, the Secretary General did not rule out the possibility that soldiers from the DPRK could still appear on the battlefield. He emphasized that such participation will only increase the escalation of the conflict.
It was previously reported that a representative of the US Congress called on President Joe Biden and NATO to pay attention to the possible use of North Korean troops by the Russian army. The US has already expressed concern about this issue, but has not yet received independent confirmation of the participation of North Korean soldiers in the war.
South Korea also expressed serious concern about the possible sending of North Korean troops to participate in hostilities in Ukraine, calling it a threat to international security.
In addition, the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, in an interview for The War Zone, said that there are about 11,000 North Korean soldiers in the east of Russia who are undergoing training for possible involvement in hostilities in Ukraine.
