Transfer of ballistic missiles from North Korea to Russia is red flag for West, expert
Photo: Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
The transfer of ballistic missiles from North Korea to Russia is a cause for concern in the West, according to military-political analyst Olexander Kovalenko of the "Information Resistance" group.
North Korea is under the influence of China, and without the approval of China, the transfer of missiles to Russia would most likely be impossible.
"I don't think China would dare to do that. It acts more cautiously and avoids confrontation with the West. But the fact that North Korea would transfer ballistic missiles with China's tacit consent is indeed so. And this is a worrisome signal for the U.S. primarily," he said.
According to the expert, in the future, it will be necessary to address not only the issue of North Korean missiles but also the fact that Pyongyang has essentially confirmed its readiness to participate in a global-level conflict.
At the same time, military expert Valeriy Ryabykh of Defense Express stated that if Russia's use of North Korean missiles for strikes on Ukraine is officially confirmed, it should change the approach of Western partners. According to the expert, they should coordinate the allocation of multi-billion-dollar aid packages and expand the range of supplied weapons.
"If Russia is proposing new rules of the game, an asymmetric response should be given. One of the options could be supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles. And it's not just about ATACMS, which has a range of 300 km. We need even longer-range ones to hit ballistic missile production facilities located thousands of kilometers from Ukraine's borders," said Ryabykh.
Background
The day before, White House National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby announced that Russia had acquired ballistic missiles from North Korea, which had already been used for strikes on Ukraine.
On January 4, The Wall Street Journal reported that North Korea could have transferred several dozen ballistic missiles to Russia for strikes on Ukraine.
On January 5, the UK condemned the Russian army's use of ballistic weapons obtained from North Korea during recent attacks on Ukrainian territory.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force has not yet been able to confirm information about the use of North Korean ballistic missiles by the Russians.
On January 10, the U.S. is convening the UN Security Council to discuss North Korea's supply of ballistic missiles to Russia.
