Lithuania pushes for European troops in Ukraine amid North Korean involvement in war
Photo: Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergi (Getty Images)
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, in an interview with Politico, stated that European nations should reconsider French President Emmanuel Macron’s idea of deploying troops to Ukraine, as the potential arrival of thousands of North Korean soldiers to support Russia could soon escalate the conflict.
"If information about Russia’s killing squads being equipped with North Korean ammunition and military personnel is confirmed, we have to get back to ‘boots on the ground’ and other ideas proposed by Macron," Landsbergis said.
President Macron first raised this idea in February, but German Chancellor Olaf Scholz quickly dismissed it, stating that no European or NATO troops would be stationed in Ukraine.
"Regretfully, we are lagging again, being reactive, but I believe in our joint capacity to make all the necessary proactive steps to turn President Macron’s ideas into action," Landsbergis added.
For now, Western leaders remain cautious regarding reports of North Korean forces heading to Ukraine. Neither US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin nor NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte have confirmed the intelligence shared by South Korean and Ukrainian leaders. However, Austin noted that such a deployment, if verified, would be "concerning" for the United States.
Meanwhile, South Korea plans to send a delegation to NATO headquarters in Brussels to discuss the intelligence regarding North Korean troop movements.
South Korea is also in talks about sending offensive and defensive weapons to Ukraine.
According to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, North Korea has decided to send around 12,000 troops to assist Russia, with approximately 1,500 soldiers already deployed in Russia’s Far East.
