The US, NATO and Western countries have said they have evidence Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to Russia, a claim denied by both North Korea and the Kremlin.
North Korea said today that any move to send troops to help Russia in its war in Ukraine would be in line with international law, without confirming that such a deployment had actually taken place.
After weeks of warnings from Seoul and Kiev about the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia, just this week the US, NATO and Western countries said they were confident of it and had evidence that Pyongyang had sent thousands of troops to Russia for possible deployment in Russia’s war against of Ukraine.
Previously, both Pyongyang and the Kremlin had dismissed these claims as unfounded rumours.
However, when asked about it yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not deny North Korean troops are in Russia, noting that it is Moscow’s job to implement the partnership treaty with Pyongyang.
Kiev says North Korea’s involvement in the war, which began with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, may amount to a crime of aggression under international law.
In a statement carried by North Korea’s KCNA news agency, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Yong-gyu said the foreign ministry was not directly involved in matters handled by the defense ministry and would not comment on any development.
However, he added: “If something like this is happening that the world media is talking about, I think it will be an action in accordance with the regulations of international law.”
North Korea and Russia have developed closer relations since the start of the war, including the signing of a new mutual defense pact. Ukraine and Western countries have previously accused North Korea of ​​supplying Russia with weapons, which Pyongyang and Moscow have denied.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that Russia plans to deploy North Korean troops to the battlefield from October 27 to 28, citing intelligence reports.
Ukraine’s military intelligence service (GUR) announced yesterday that the first units of North Korean soldiers, trained in Russia, have been deployed in Russia’s Kursk region, a Russian border region where Ukrainian forces have invaded.
GUR stressed that about 12,000 North Korean military personnel, including 500 officers and three generals, were already in Russia and training was taking place at five military bases.
Source :Skai
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