WASHINGTON: The US and South Korean defence chiefs on Wednesday (Oct 30) referred to as for North Korea to withdraw its troops from Russia, the place Washington says some 10,000 of them have been deployed for doable motion in opposition to Ukrainian forces.
Russia and North Korea have deepened their political and navy alliance because the Ukraine conflict dragged on, however sending Pyongyang’s troops into fight in opposition to Kyiv’s forces would mark a big escalation that has sparked widespread worldwide concern.
“I name upon them to withdraw their troops out of Russia,” US Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin mentioned on the Pentagon, echoing a name by his South Korean counterpart Kim Yong-hyun, who stood beside him.
Austin mentioned the USA will “proceed to work with allies and companions to discourage Russia from using these troops in fight”.
However there’s a “good chance” that Moscow will nonetheless accomplish that, in response to the US protection secretary, who mentioned that North Korean forces are being outfitted with Russian uniforms and weapons.
Kim, talking by way of a translator, mentioned he believes the North Korean deployment to Russia “may end up in the escalation of the safety threats on the Korean peninsula”.
That’s as a result of there’s a “excessive probability” that Pyongyang will ask for know-how transfers from Russia to assist its weapons packages – together with on tactical nuclear weapons, intercontinental ballistic missiles and reconnaissance satellites – in trade for the deployment of its forces, he mentioned.
However he didn’t announce a change to Seoul’s longstanding coverage that bars it from promoting weapons into lively battle zones together with Ukraine – a stance it has caught to regardless of calls from Washington and Kyiv to rethink.
“RETURN IN BODY BAGS”
“On the present second, nothing is set,” Kim mentioned when requested if there are plans for South Korea to not directly provide munitions to Ukraine.
The Pentagon mentioned the day prior to this {that a} “small quantity” of North Korean troops have already been deployed in Russia’s Kursk area, the place Ukrainian forces have been conducting a floor offensive since August.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has not denied the deployment of North Korean troops to his nation however has additionally refused to substantiate it.
Moscow’s UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia on Wednesday mentioned that any claims that Pyongyang’s forces had been current on the entrance traces had been “mere assertions.”
Miroslav Jenca, the UN’s assistant secretary-general for Europe, in the meantime mentioned the United Nations has been following studies of the North Korean deployment to Russia with “severe concern,” however couldn’t independently verify them.
