US President Joe Biden endorsed potential Ukrainian military action against North Korean forces if they enter Ukraine amid growing concerns over North Korean troop presence in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
"I am concerned about it," Biden said, according to Reuters, when asked about North Korean troops in Kursk Oblast.
When questioned if Ukraine should strike back against North Korean forces crossing into Ukraine, Biden responded, "If they cross into Ukraine, yes."
The statement comes as multiple intelligence sources report a North Korean military presence in Russia. South Korean intelligence places the number at approximately 13,000 North Korean troops in Russia. Ukrainian intelligence reports indicate around 11,000 North Korean troops have undergone training there, with 3,000 already relocated to Kursk Oblast.
The Pentagon announced on 28 October that Ukraine would face no new restrictions on using US-supplied weapons against North Korean forces should they engage in combat operations against Ukrainian troops.
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh characterized the potential North Korean involvement as a "further escalation" that would "demonstrate President Putin's growing desperation as Russia suffers massive battlefield losses."
According to Pentagon assessments, approximately 10,000 North Korean service members have been deployed to Russia's eastern regions for training purposes.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on 28 October that North Korean troops had been transferred to Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
The Pentagon reports that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will host his South Korean counterpart Kim Yeon-hwan at the Pentagon on 30 October for the 56th Security Consultative Meeting.
On 31 October, Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken will receive Kim and Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul at the State Department for the sixth US-ROK Foreign and Defense Ministers’ Meeting.
Read also:
- China aware of North Korean troops in Russia despite denials, says former US diplomat
- Small number of North Korean military already inside Ukraine, US officials told CNN
- WSJ: North Korea sends young, inexperienced, malnourished soldiers to Russia to test ground in Ukraine as “mere cannon fodder”
