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A top Russian official has denied allegations that North Korean troops are aiding Russia in its war against Ukraine, calling the claims from Western countries “barefaced lies.”
Let’s bring you up to speed: Roughly two weeks ago, South Korean intelligence agencies announced that approximately 10,000 North Korean troops had been deployed to Russia, sparking concerns about their potential involvement in the war against Ukraine. Various Western intelligence agencies have since confirmed that some of these troops are undergoing combat training while others are staging near the Ukrainian border. Ukrainian intelligence reports further suggest that up to 12,000 North Korean servicemen are spread across five Russian military locations, with recent movements indicating potential preparation for front-line deployment.
What the Russian official said: Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, said, “I would like to underscore that the Russian interaction with DPRK in the military and other areas is in line with international law and is not a violation of it. It’s not aimed against third countries. These statements about the North Korean soldiers in our front should not surprise no one, because they’re all barefaced lies and they are trying to distract.”
Nebenzya added, “Even if everything that is being said about the cooperation between Russia and North Korea by our Western colleagues is true, why is it that the United States and allies are trying to impose on everyone the flawed logic that they have the right to help the Zelenskyy regime mobilize the military and intelligence of NATO, and Russia and its allies have no right to do a similar thing?”
Warnings from the US & South Korea: Yesterday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, alongside South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, called for the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops stationed in Russia. Secretary Austin warned that if North Korea was to enter the war in Ukraine, it could “broaden” the war.
