NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte issued a stark warning today, stating that if North Korea sends troops to Ukraine to support Russia, it would result in a “serious escalation” of the situation. This statement follows reports from AFP and Yonhap news agency detailing Rutte’s communications with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol. In a post on social media platform X, Rutte emphasized discussions regarding NATO’s close partnership with Seoul, defense industrial cooperation, and the interconnected security issues between the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions.
Rutte specifically cautioned that “North Korea deploying its troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine would mean a serious escalation.”
According to the South Korean National Intelligence Service, North Korea has reportedly made a decision to “massively” deploy troops to support Russia’s operations in Ukraine. Reports indicate that 1,500 special forces have already undergone training in Russia’s Far East and could potentially be sent to the front lines in Ukraine.
In response, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Russian Ambassador to South Korea, Georgy Zinoviev, to protest North Korea’s recent troop deployment in support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The South Korean government demanded an immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops and underscored their commitment to using all available means to address the situation.
The Russian embassy in South Korea conveyed that Ambassador Zinoviev emphasized to the South Korean government that Russia’s collaboration with North Korea is “not aimed at” undermining South Korea’s security interests.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also addressed questions from reporters today, stating, “North Korea is our close neighbor and partner, and we are developing bilateral relations in various fields; this is our sovereign right. We will continue to further develop this cooperation.” When prompted about whether Russia is utilizing North Korean troops, Peskov declined to provide a direct answer, simply reiterating the collaborative stance.
