Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is sounding the alarm that the recent deployment of North Korean troops in Russia not only spells trouble for Ukraine, but also draws into question the stability and security of nations in Asia that are allied with the West.
“North Korea’s actions aren’t random,” Zelenskyy said in a frank interview with South Korea’s public broadcasting network KBS on Thursday. “They have strategic goals.”
“Their actions aren’t coincidental – they want Russia’s support in return,” he added in comments also posted to his social media account on X.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, meets soldiers who took part in a training in North Korea on March 13. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)
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Zelenskyy’s warning coincided with an announcement by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who on Thursday held a joint press conference with their South Korean counterparts to confirm that some 10,000 North Korean soldiers have deployed to Russia for training — 80 percent of which are already in Kursk and expected to begin combat operations against Ukraine in the region within the “coming days.”
Zelenskyy, who described the threat now posed by North Korea as “a war of two countries against one,” echoed the imminent threat outlined by the U.S. officials and urged South Korea to start taking a bigger role in countering Russia’s near 1,000-day war against Ukraine.
“Whether these forces are in Kursk or on our occupied lands, they are preparing to fight Ukrainian soldiers. The world must recognize the gravity of this alliance,” he said. “South Korea has approached this war with caution.
“But this isn’t just our war,” Zelenskyy continued. “Russia has brought in North Korea, and they won’t stop there. Iran, or even others, may be next.”
Zelenskyy said South Korea has already pledged to send a team of specialists to Ukraine where they will collaborate on defensive capabilities, including air defense, as North Korea also provides Russian with artillery and missiles.
A TV screen shows file images of North Korean soldiers during a news program at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Oct. 18. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
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“If South Korea wants to understand the real capabilities of North Korea and its soldiers, it would benefit them to be here, to see and analyze the reality firsthand,” he said. “Consider how close North Korea is to Seoul — just 40-50 km [25-30 miles], the range of modern artillery, not even missiles.”
“Air defenses can’t counter artillery strikes. Our own towns were obliterated by artillery. I hope South Korea never faces this, but preparation is critical,” Zelenskyy added.
The Ukrainian president further suggested it was time that allies in the East look to form an “Asian Security Alliance” and called on nations like South Korea and Japan to lead the charge.
“And reaching out to China could be essential in countering North Korea’s aggression, as North Korea is actively pulling that region into a war,” he said, questioning China’s position as the threat of regional conflict expands.
“I’m surprised by China’s silence,” Zelenskyy added. “I can’t say that China is on our side, but as a regional security guarantor, its silence is striking.”
The Ukrainian president highlighted how the unification of Russia and North Korea has direct implications for not only Ukraine, but for partners in the East and allies in the West.
A TV screen shows file images of North Korean soldiers during a news program at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Oct. 18. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
“[Russian President Vladimir Putin is] testing the West, NATO, and even South Korea, observing their response to North Korean forces joining his campaign,” Zelenskyy said. “If the response is weak, we should expect the numbers of foreign soldiers on our soil to increase.”
The U.S. on Friday announced another $425 million defensive aid package for Ukraine from the Presidential Drawdown Authority.
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The package includes air defense interceptors, munitions for rocket systems and artillery, armored vehicles and anti-tank weapons to help meet “Ukraine’s critical security and defense needs.”
The package notably did not include Tomahawk intermediate-range missiles, which, according to a leaked report to The New York Times this week, Zelenskyy had requested and been denied.
Zelenskyy reportedly voiced his frustration on Wednesday not over the U.S. refusal to provide Ukraine with the advanced weaponry capable of flying some 1,500 miles, but over the fact that the request was leaked by an anonymous senior U.S. official.