WASHINGTON (AP) – Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that North Korean troops are moving toward Ukraine wearing Russian uniforms and carrying Russian equipment, a development that calls it dangerous and destabilizing. He said that.
Austin spoke with South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun at a press conference in Washington amid growing concerns about North Korea sending up to 11,000 troops to Russia.
The United States and South Korea said some North Korean troops were heading toward Russia's Kursk region on the border with Ukraine, where Kremlin forces are struggling to stop the country’s invasion.
Some North Korean advance forces have already arrived in the Kursk region, and Austin said there is a “very high probability” that Russia will use them in combat.
North Korea’s move to strengthen ties with Russia has caused alarm around the world, with leaders wondering how the war in Ukraine will escalate and what Russia will do to North Korea in return. There are concerns about whether China will provide sufficient military aid.
Austin said authorities were discussing what to do about the deployment, which he said could widen or prolong the conflict in Ukraine. Asked whether it might encourage other countries to become more directly involved in the conflict, he acknowledged it could “encourage other countries to take action” but did not elaborate.
"We will continue to monitor this closely and continue to work with our allies and partners to prevent Russia from bringing these forces into combat,” Austin said.
Kim said he did not necessarily think the deployment would spark a war on the Korean peninsula, but said it could increase security threats.
He said through an interpreter that it was "likely" that North Korea would request more advanced technology, such as tactical nuclear or ballistic missile capabilities, in exchange for troops.
Mr. Kim and Mr. Austin called on North Korea to withdraw its troops.
Russia had to shift some of its resources to the Kursk border region to counter the Ukrainian offensive. US leaders suggested that the use of North Korean troops to strengthen Russia’s defenses showed that Russia’s losses in more than two years of war had significantly reduced its military strength.
“They’re doing this because (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has lost a lot of troops,” Austin said, adding that the Russian government has no choice but to either mobilize more of its military or send aid to other countries. He added that there is a choice whether to seek it or not.
He noted that Russia is already seeking military weapons from other countries. This includes North Korea and Iran.
The United States estimates that about 10,000 North Korean troops are currently stationed in Russia. The South Korean government and its allies estimate the number of people sent to Russia has increased to 11,000, according to a senior South Korean presidential official who spoke on condition of anonymity at a background briefing.
South Korean officials said more than 3,000 of them were believed to have moved toward fighting areas in western Russia, but did not specify where.
A Ukrainian official told The Associated Press that North Korean troops are stationed 50 kilometers from the Ukraine-Russia border. The official, who was not authorized to publicly release information and spoke on condition of anonymity, gave no further details.
North Korea also provides military supplies to Russia, and earlier this month the White House released images showing North Korea transporting 1,000 containers containing military equipment to Russia by rail.
The key question of concern is what North Korea will get in return for providing its troops. But officials have yet to say specifically what North Korea has asked for and what Russia has proposed.
During their meeting at the Pentagon, Kim and Austin agreed to continue large-scale military exercises, strengthen cooperation on nuclear deterrence and improve North Korea’s early launch warning system, according to a published fact sheet. The two countries agreed to improve their ability to deter and respond to missile launches. Wednesday by the Department of Defense.
Austin and Kim are scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol at the State Department on Thursday.
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Associated Press reporter Kim Tong-hyun contributed from Seoul, South Korea.
