On Friday, North Korea stated that deploying troops to assist Russia in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine would be consistent with international law, although it refrained from confirming any specific troop movements. This announcement comes amid claims from Ukraine, the United States, and South Korea has already dispatched thousands of soldiers to Russia, with reports from Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate indicating sightings of North Korean officers in the Kursk region.
The North Korean government emphasized that its actions are guided by international legal standards, citing a recently ratified mutual defence pact with Russia as a framework for their cooperation. The pact, signed in June between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, establishes a formal alliance that could involve military support. In contrast, the European Union has condemned any potential North Korean troop deployment, asserting that such actions would violate international law and constitute participation in a war of aggression. The EU’s High Representative criticized Russia for breaching UN resolutions that prohibit military collaboration with North Korea.
During a press conference at the BRICS summit, President Putin avoided directly addressing the issue of North Korean troop presence but reiterated that the specifics of the defence pact with North Korea are matters for Moscow and Pyongyang alone. He also attributed the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine to Western actions, suggesting that external factors are exacerbating the situation.
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