Both NATO and the United States confirm that North Korea has sent troops to Russia. “We are discussing these developments and awaiting further details from South Korea,” a NATO spokesman said.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also speaks of evidence that North Korean troops have left for Russia. The US is still trying to determine the purpose of the North Korean presence in Russia.
“If their intention is to enter this war on behalf of Russia, then that is a very, very serious problem. It will have consequences not only for Europe, but also for the Indo-Pacific,” Austin said at a press briefing in Rome.
Ukraine and South Korea have previously claimed that North Korea has sent thousands of troops to Russia to help Russia fight Ukraine. A source within the US intelligence community has previously told the same story.
South Korean lawmakers say Wednesday that there are already 3,000 North Koreans in Russia. They expect thousands more to follow. The total could be 10,000 soldiers. That estimate is twice as high as previously thought.
Russia has dismissed the claim about North Korean troops as “fake news” and North Korea’s representative to the United Nations also called them “baseless rumors” on Monday.
