The U.S. White House has announced that it will release an official statement on North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia within the next few days. The U.S. State Department expressed concern that North Korea’s deployment could further escalate the current war into a very troubling situation and stated that it would continue consultations with allies and partners.
On Monday, Voice of America (VOA) reported that John Kirby, the White House National Security Communications Adviser, indicated that the U.S. is continuing to investigate South Korean intelligence’s announcement regarding North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia and is in discussions with allies and partners.
Kirby stated, “If it’s true that the DPRK soldiers are going there to join the war against Ukraine, it would certainly mark a dangerous and highly concerning development.”
He added that the U.S. plans to provide more details in the coming days about what it has learned regarding North Korea’s deployment to Russia and ongoing discussions with partners.
Kirby explained, “Mr. Putin is still having to take radical steps to prop up his currency and to keep his war economy going, and he continues to have to take drastic steps to try to keep an army in the field and to try to achieve even a modicum of success on the battlefield. That includes continuing to get drones and drone technology from Iran, artillery rounds from North Korea, and now these reports about North Korean soldiers deploying to Russia.”
He further remarked, “We also need to look at this for what it also is, and that is another demonstration of Putin’s growing desperation and his growing isolation that he’s got to reach out to North Korea for potential — potential — as I said, we’re looking into the reports — potential infantry support to his ground operations.”
The U.S. State Department has taken a cautious approach to confirming North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia.
Vedant Patel, the Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department, commented on the matter, stating that while they cannot confirm the accuracy of these reports, if true, they not only indicate that Russia’s war on Ukraine is evolving into a dangerous and deeply concerning situation but also demonstrate Russia’s growing desperation.
Patel declined to speculate on the potential impact of the North Korean troop deployment on the Korean Peninsula.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, currently visiting Ukraine, promised to provide Ukraine with everything it needs. However, he did not comment on Ukraine’s request for expedited NATO membership or approval for missile strikes on Russian territory.
In a speech at Ukraine’s diplomatic academy, Austin emphasized that the future of Europe, the strength of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and U.S. security were all at risk.
The United Nations has not confirmed the South Korean government’s announcement regarding North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia, taking a fundamental stance on the issue at the Security Council level.
Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said during a briefing at UN headquarters in New York that the Security Council’s sanctions committee is monitoring the sanctions on North Korea and will make any decisions regarding violations.
