Zelenskyy's Office highlights key point on North Korea's military involvement in war
Photo: Mykhailo Podolyak, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Two aspects are important in the issue of the possible participation of North Korean soldiers in the war against Ukraine. One of them is what kind of soldiers the DPRK might send, said Mykhailo Podolyak, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, in a commentary to the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel.
Dangerous alliance
He emphasized that Russia and North Korea have formed a strategic alliance, which includes the potential involvement of North Korean soldiers in the war against Ukraine. Now, Ukrainian defenders are forced to fight not only against Russia, which some European countries still fear, but also against this alliance, which includes North Korea and Iran.
Therefore, as Podolyak noted, Ukraine urges its partners to recognize the threat posed by such an alliance and to respond more firmly, primarily through economic sanctions. This is especially important since Russia continues to receive excessive profits, while some Western companies continue to operate in Russia and finance its federal budget.
Involvement of North Korea in the war
Podolyak added that there are several components regarding the involvement of North Korean soldiers in the war alongside Russia.
"Let’s look at the numbers and see who these soldiers will be. Because one thing is the North Korean special forces, who live on bases there, and another is a mobilized army. These are slightly different components, first of all," he explained.
The second point, according to him, is who exactly North Korean soldiers might replace in the border zone.
"Russian conscripts? They aren’t participating in the war as such. It’s important to understand that this doesn’t solve the resource issues that currently exist in the Russian Federation," he clarified.
North Korea could send soldiers
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is recording the transfer of not only North Korean weapons to Russia but also North Korean personnel. They are working in Russian factories and bolstering the personnel of the Russian army.
On October 14, the head of state mentioned that during a meeting with the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine and the Foreign Intelligence Service, they discussed the involvement of North Korea in the war.
In response to such information, the White House expressed concern in its usual manner.
