“I can confirm that North Korean troops have been dispatched to Russia and that North Korean military units have been deployed in the Kursk region,” Rutte told reporters shortly after a meeting with a senior South Korean intelligence official.
The NATO Secretary-General added that he planned to call South Korean President Yun Seok-Yeol and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov later on Monday.
Ukraine hopes to use the invasion to force Russia to redeploy its troops currently stationed in eastern Ukraine.
Rutte said Moscow’s deployment of troops to North Korea marked a “serious escalation of North Korea’s ongoing involvement in Russia’s illegal war” and a “dangerous escalation of Russia’s war.” He said this while referring to the official name of Korea.
Rutte, however, said the deployment showed Russia’s weakness and was “an expression of President Putin’s growing desperation.”
“More than 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or injured in Putin’s war, and without foreign support, Putin will not be able to sustain the offensive in Ukraine.” “That’s because Ukrainians are fighting back with courage, resilience and ingenuity.”
“NATO calls on Russia and North Korea to immediately cease these actions,” he added.
This story is being updated.
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