The US Congress calls for military action against the DPRK in case of its troops’ appearance in Ukraine
24 October 2024 15:00
Mike Turner, chairman of the US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, has called for consideration of direct military action against North Korea if North Korean troops appear in Ukraine. He said this on Wednesday amid reports of the presence of thousands of North Korean soldiers in Russia, according to "Komersant Ukrainian" citing The Hill.
According to the White House, at least 3,000 DPRK troops are currently undergoing training at military bases in eastern Russia. This was confirmed by US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin.
“The Biden-Harris administration must make it clear that North Korean troops entering this conflict is a red line for the United States. If North Korean troops invade the sovereign territory of Ukraine, the United States should seriously consider taking direct military action against North Korean troops,” he said,
– turner said.
The committee chairman also called for the lifting of restrictions on Ukraine’s use of US weapons against targets in Russia.
“If North Korean troops attack Ukraine from Russian territory, Ukraine should be allowed to use American weapons to respond,” he said,
– he said.
The Pentagon has confirmed that DPRK troops are in Russia. According to White House national security spokesman John Kirby, in early October, the DPRK moved troops by sea from the Wonsan region to the Russian city of Vladivostok. From there, the soldiers headed to three military facilities in eastern Russia for basic combat training.
“We don’t know yet whether these soldiers will join the Russian army in combat, but it’s certainly a very disturbing possibility,” Kirby said,
– kirby said. He also warned that if North Korean troops were to take part in hostilities against Ukraine, “they would become legitimate military targets.”
Earlier, South Korean intelligence reported that North Korea had decided to send 12,000 special forces soldiers to support Russia, most of whom are already in training and will be deployed to the front, according to the head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov, on 1 November. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that this could be “the first step towards a world war”.
North Korea has also reportedly provided Russia with thousands of containers of ammunition. Last month, Kyrylo Budanov called North Korea’s support for the war “the biggest problem” Kyiv faces from Moscow’s allies.
The deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is a cause for concern in both South Korea and NATO. During a telephone conversation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, South Korean President Yun Seok-yeol condemned the military alliance and said that South Korea would take “gradual measures” in response to the threats.
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Cooperation between the DPRK and Russia
on 19 June 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin paid his first visit to North Korea in 24 years. During this visit, he signed an agreement on a “comprehensive strategic partnership” between the two countries with DPRK leader Kim Jong Un. After the signing, Putin noted that this agreement provides for assistance in case of aggression against one of the parties. Recently, the agreement was submitted for ratification in the Russian parliament. The agreement explicitly provides for military assistance:
"If one of the parties is subjected to an armed attack by any state or several states and is thus in a state of war, the other party shall immediately provide military and other assistance by all means at its disposal in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."
After the visit, it became known that the DPRK supplies Russia with artillery shells, which it uses in the war against Ukraine. According to The Times, their number is already approaching 3 million, which is half of all the shells that Russia is firing against Ukraine.
The Kyiv Post, citing intelligence sources, reported that on 3 October, 6 North Korean officers who were advising the Russians were killed in Donbas.
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