‘Dangerous expansion of conflict’: NATO's stark warning as North Korean troops bolster Russia’s war effort in Ukraine
29 October 2024, 07:31
NATO has confirmed that North Korean soldiers are now in Russia, assisting in its ongoing war with Ukraine in the Kursk region, marking a pivotal escalation that could shift global security dynamics.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
According to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, North Korean troops were recently deployed near the Ukrainian front lines, a “dangerous expansion of Russia’s war” that heightens both Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security threats.
Rutte, speaking in Brussels after briefings with South Korean intelligence officials, said the alliance is closely monitoring this “significant escalation,” with plans to consult further with South Korea and Ukraine’s defence minister.
The Pentagon has echoed these concerns. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh reported that about 10,000 North Korean troops are expected in Russia within weeks, with thousands already closer to the Ukrainian border.
She warned that North Korean involvement in active combat would be regarded as direct participation in the conflict, making them legitimate targets under international law.
South Korean intelligence officers have reportedly deployed to the region, tasked with gathering real-time intelligence on the ground as Pyongyang’s deepening involvement raises security concerns.
As LBC previously reported, North Korean troops have not been well received by Russian soldiers on the frontline.
Intercepted messages reveal mounting frustration from Russian troops in Ukraine’s Kursk region, where newly deployed North Korean soldiers have arrived to support Russian forces.
According to Ukrainian military intelligence, these North Korean recruits – part of an estimated 12,000-strong force trained in Russia’s Far East – have encountered an uneasy reception from Russian personnel, who express confusion and resentment over the collaboration.
In one intercepted message, a Russian soldier is heard exasperatedly questioning, “What the f*** do we do with them?” – highlighting difficulties with language barriers and lack of coordination in managing the influx.
Although Moscow has reportedly paired Russian officers with North Korean recruits, frontline troops worry that there are too few Russian personnel to oversee and effectively integrate them.
Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed the potential “serious implications for Indo-Pacific security” should these soldiers enter combat.
Adding thousands of North Korean soldiers to Europe's biggest conflict since the Second World War will pile more pressure on Ukraine's weary and overstretched army, as well as stoking geopolitical tensions in the Korean Peninsula and the wider Indo-Pacific region, including Japan and Australia, Western officials say.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is keen to reshape global power dynamics. He sought to build a counterbalance to Western influence with a summit of Brics countries, including the leaders of China and India, in Russia last week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently claimed that North Korean troops would be on the battlefield imminently, while South Korean intelligence noted that over 3,000 troops had already arrived for training in Russia.
This new front for North Korea’s military involvement, combined with arms supplies to Russia, has intensified concerns over the alignment of Pyongyang and Moscow as global power dynamics shift.
