President Zelenskyy: First Clashes Between Ukrainian Army and North Korean Troops Open New Chapter of Global Instability

Ukraine and the world must do everything possible to ensure that the involvement of the DPRK military on the side of Russia becomes a losing step for both the Kremlin and North Korea.

This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a video address.

‘Terror, unfortunately, can spread like a virus when it does not meet sufficient counteraction. Now the counteraction must be sufficient. Strong enough. The first battles with North Korean soldiers open a new page of instability in the world. Together with the world, we must do everything we can to make sure that this Russian step to expand the war, to escalate it, so that this step becomes a loser. Both for him and for North Korea,’ he said.

At the same time, President Zelenskyy thanked ‘everyone in the world who responded to the appearance of North Korean soldiers in Russia’, as well as those ‘who are preparing appropriate actions to support our defence here in Ukraine’.

Last week, the United States and South Korea called on the DPRK to withdraw its troops from Russia so that they would not be used in a war against Ukraine. US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin reiterated that, according to the US, North Korea has redeployed about 10,000 troops to Russia. Some of them have already been moved closer to Ukraine and are being provided with Russian uniforms and equipment.