US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin has said that despite Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s efforts to attract weapons and support from North Korea, this will not lead to victory over Ukraine. He said this during a briefing.
Austin noted that the United States is aware that the DPRK has sent about 10,000 soldiers to train in the Russian Far East, some of whom have already approached the Ukrainian border.
‘I am increasingly concerned that the Kremlin is planning to use these North Korean soldiers to support Russia’s military operations in the Kursk region near the border with Ukraine. Russia is a signatory to UN Security Council resolutions that pledge not to provide military assistance to North Korea. Of course, we know that Putin would do anything to get weapons from the DPRK and Iran,’ Austin said.
According to the minister, such an appeal to the DPRK demonstrates Putin’s serious problems.
‘We take this very seriously. We urge the Kremlin to change course. We fully understand the security implications for both Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. Putin will not win in Ukraine, even with more help from North Korea,” the Pentagon chief added.
Earlier, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine does not plan to call on its partners to send military units to the front, despite reports of the presence of DPRK troops in Russia.
It is also known that a delegation from South Korea will arrive in Ukraine to discuss this situation.
The White House commented on the participation of the North Korean military on the side of Russia as ‘a sign of Putin’s extreme desperation’. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had earlier confirmed the information about the presence of the DPRK military in the Kursk region.
