Pavlo Klimkin on what the West’s response to Russia’s military buildup in the DPRK could be

The discussion about the possible involvement of the North Korean military in the war in Ukraine is gaining momentum, because the situation is becoming more and more tense. Recently, this issue has attracted the attention of the international community, especially after the North Korean ambassador to the UN denied the involvement of its military in the conflict. Despite this, according to Ukrainian intelligence, within a few weeks the Russian army may receive reinforcements from the DPRK in the Kursk region. This development of events poses new challenges for Ukraine, which must be responded to together with international partners, looking for optimal countermeasures.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, diplomat Pavlo Klimkin notes, that it is not the first day that the issue of Russia’s possible involvement of thousands of North Korean troops in the war in Ukraine has been discussed. Yesterday, the North Korean ambassador to the UN commented on this report for the first time and denied such a possibility. At the same time, according to the GUR, in a few weeks the first North Korean military may be involved by Russia in the Kursk region, which is partially controlled by the Defense Forces of Ukraine.

“Ukraine should already prepare an optimal response, built together with partners. The first thing is to understand what the plans of Russia and the DPRK really are, and how many resources can be involved. Currently, we do not know for sure where and how the Russian Federation plans to use the North Korean military. As of now At the moment, we have no formal confirmation that a military contingent from North Korea will take direct part in the war in Ukraine. And this issue was part of the discussion with our partners. But it is worth understanding that we are not talking about any “peacekeeping mission” of North Korea on the territory of the Russian Federation. It is about the possible help of Russia not only with missiles and weapons, as it happened until now, but also with the military.

In this case, is it possible to help Ukraine with personnel from the partners? If we talk about the nearest, foreseeable perspective, then the answer is no. But due to the participation of North Korea in the Russian-Ukrainian war, this idea may get a boost. However, it is hardly possible to say how exactly it can be implemented.” – believes Klimkin.

The ex-minister of foreign affairs expressed his thoughts on how the West can react to the possible involvement of the North Korean military in the conflict on the side of Russia. According to him, although there are currently no official confirmations of such participation, the response should be clear and coordinated.

“First of all, if we are talking about aid in the form of peacekeeping missions, then it should definitely not be a mission of the United Nations. It is not appropriate to rely on the UN, because the creation of such a mission will take an infinite time. The fact is that this decision has pass through the UN Security Council, of which Russia and China are permanent members, and they can, of course, block it.

Secondly, if we talk about the help of partners to Ukraine with military units, it is worth reminding that after Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un signed an agreement on a comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and North Korea in June 2024, based on it, they can legally and politically make any decision regarding military support. In order for us to have a similar opportunity to work with our partners, for the use of foreign troops on our territory, we also need not only a political but also a legal basis. We don’t have it yet. And we can’t do it literally tomorrow. We can move quickly in this direction, but there must also be the political will of those countries that support Ukraine.

Let me remind you that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that he could not confirm the report that North Korea had sent troops to Russia to participate in the war against Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s reaction to such reports is also quite restrained. They obviously won’t comment on the situation in public yet. The first reason for this is that they also need to understand what is going on. The second reason is that they don’t want to do it, so as not to raise the stakes in this situation. And the third – they have not yet formed an answer.

As soon as they start commenting on the situation, they will immediately receive the question: “What is your answer to it?”. Therefore, they will react minimally in public.

But the answer should still be. And it should be clear. An increase in the supply of weapons to Ukraine, the destruction of military facilities on the territory of Russia, and even the presence of the troops of partner countries on our territory – this is the answer I see. And if we can talk about the latter when we and our partners understand to what extent Russia will involve the military of North Korea and for what purpose, then an operational response – supplying us with some types of weapons, better intelligence, etc. – can be done immediately.” – emphasized Klimkin.