North Korean soldiers are traveling to Russia and if they join the fight against Ukraine, they will become legitimate military targets and it is also a sign of weakness on Kremlin’s part, the White House said on Wednesday.
In a press briefing, national security council spokesman John Kirby said, “We will see what the Russians and North Koreans decide to do here.As I said earlier, if these North Korean soldiers decide to join the fight against Ukraine, they will become legitimate military targets.”
These remarks came in the wake of the South Korea’s claim that there are at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers are travelling to Russia and receiving training on drones and other equipment before being deployed to battlefields in Ukraine.
Talking about the same reports, Kirby said that they are closely working on the situation and trying to understand.
According to Kirby the soldiers traveled by ship from the Wonsan area in North Korea to Vladivostok, Russia and then traveled onward to multiple Russian military training sites where they are currently undergoing training.
“We do not yet know whether these soldiers will en- — enter into combat alongside the Russian military, but this is a certain — certainly a highly concerning probability,” Kirby said.
He further stated that the North Korean soldiers, after completing the training, might move to western Russia to fight against the Ukrainian military. The Ukrainian government has also been briefed about the situation.
“For the time being, we will continue to monitor the situation closely. But let’s be clear, if North Korean soldiers do enter into combat, this development would demonstrate Russia’s growing desperation in its war against Ukraine,” the NSC spokesperson said.
“Russia is suffering extraordinary casualties on the battlefield every single day, but President Putin appears intent on continuing this war. If Russia is indeed forced to turn to North Korea for manpower, this would be a sign of weakness, not strength, on the part of the Kremlin,” he added.
Kirby also said that Russia’s cooperation with the North Korean military is in violation of multiple UN security council resolutions which prohibit the procurement of arms from North Korea and military arms training. This move is likewise a violation.
