Politics
NATO confirms North Korea's troop deployment to Russia – Rutte warns of dangerous escalation of the Ukraine conflict
The confirmation of North Korea's troop deployment to Russia by NATO and the warning from Mark Rutte mark a dangerous escalation of the Ukraine war.
The NATO has confirmed the deployment of North Korean troops to the combat zone in Western Russia, which Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte classifies as a dangerous escalation of Russia's war in Ukraine. This development poses a serious threat to the security in both Europe and the Indo-Pacific, Rutte stated on Monday after a meeting with a South Korean delegation and representatives from the Indo-Pacific region.
The USA confirmed on Monday the deployment of 10,000 North Korean troops to Russia, after Kyiv had already warned of a similar number in mid-October. These troops are to support Russia's forces in further advances into Eastern Ukraine, where Russian troops advanced on cities like Pokrovsk and Kurakhove over the weekend.
Rutte described the measure as a "significant escalation in North Korea's ongoing involvement in Russia's illegal war" and as a "dangerous expansion of Russia's war." This deployment follows footage released by South Korea in early October, showing North Korean soldiers on Russian soil, equipped with Russian military uniforms and weapons. Part of these troops were transported to western regions to support Russia's 50,000-strong forces in the Kursk region, which have been held by Ukrainian troops since their surprise incursion in August.
The deeper military cooperation between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to security in the Indo-Pacific and in Europe," said Rutte. "It undermines peace on the Korean Peninsula and fuels the Russian war against Ukraine.
Moreover, Rutte pointed out that President Vladimir Putin is becoming increasingly desperate by involving North Korean troops.
Andriy Sybiha, Ukraine's Foreign Minister, emphasized that Kyiv had been warning for weeks about the deployment of North Korean units, but the Western allies had not yet shown a strong reaction. "The solution is to lift the restrictions on our long-range strikes against Russia," he demanded.
The conflict between Israel and Iran, which has recently escalated, has further inflamed international tensions, while the USA exerts pressure on Israel not to attack Iranian oil and nuclear facilities. Despite the significant risks posed by the deployment of North Korean troops, macroeconomic forces such as weak demand in China remain dominant and continue to push oil prices down.
