The South Korean presidential office stated on October 18 that the presence of North Korean troops in Russia to help Russia’s war against Ukraine poses a “grave threat” to international security.
Yoon Suk Yeol, the South Korean president, convened a meeting of key officials after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Pyongyang was preparing 10,000 soldiers from different branches and specialties to join Moscow‘s full scale invasion.
The South Korean presidential office issued a statement following the meeting that stated: “The participants… shared the opinion that the current situation, where Russia and North Korea have closer ties beyond the movement military supplies to actually dispatch troops, is a grave threat to security not only for our country but also to the international community.”
Seoul has provided humanitarian aid only to Kyiv up until now. However, it has been reported that the country indirectly supplied artillery by way of the U.S.
In June, South Korea announced that it would reconsider its policy not to directly supply Ukraine with weapons following the signing of a security agreement between North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong-Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang.
Zelensky, speaking at a Brussels press conference on October 17, said that Russia plans to train and engage North Korean specialists as well as infantry in different branches of the military.
He added, “We know that they are preparing to deploy about 10,000 soldiers to fight against us.”
His statement came just days after a Western Diplomat told the Kyiv Independent newspaper that Pyongyang sent 10,000 soldiers to Russia.
Zelensky stated that Moscow intends to “actually include” North Korea in war in the coming month.
According to military intelligence reports, some North Korean officers have already joined the Russian Army in the occupied territories. Zelensky said that the number of officers is unknown.
Zelensky stated that the participation of North Korean forces in Russia’s conflict “is the beginning of a World War.”
The White House also said that it “cannot confirm or corroborate”, on October 17, whether North Korean troops were sent to Russia in preparation for fighting in Ukraine.
At a press conference, U.S. Department of Defense’s Press Secretary Gen. Patrick Ryder stated that if true, it would show an increase in cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
Moscow and Pyongyang are enhancing their military cooperation, as Russia looks for arms and other support to wage a full-scale war on Ukraine.
North Korea has been providing Russia with vast quantities of artillery and ballistic missiles.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said Pyongyang was preparing 10,000 soldiers from different branches and specializations for a full-scale invasion by Moscow.
The European Council reiterated that it would adhere to the “security and defense policy” of “certain member states” regarding the use generated from the frozen assets. It added that it would continue to address “all relevant legal and financial issues.”
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that in addition to the 80 drones shot down throughout the country, 44 more were “lost.”
“Ready to welcome old friends and strengthen the close alliance we have as we stand united for freedom and against tyranny in the world,” wrote U.S. president Joe Biden on X.
This includes 1,530 casualties that Russian forces have suffered in the last day.
The Krakow District Court began the trial of two Russians, Andrei G. & AlekseiT. They were allegedly hired to distribute flyers to Krakow, Poland, encouraging people to join this organization.
Denys Shmyhal, the Ukrainian Prime Minister, addressed the annual Ukraine Mine Action Conference held in Switzerland on October 17, and urged the international community for increased support to demining efforts.
According to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway has increased its overall support for Ukraine’s Energy Sector to 3 billion Kroner (around 274.2 million dollars) as part of a broader aid program.
Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, wrote that “what (Zelensky), outlined yesterday in Ukraine’s parliament is more than frightening,” and urged EU leaders to begin talks with Moscow as soon as possible.
In an interview with The Washington Post on October 17, Trump blamed the U.S., Ukraine and other leaders for the war. He did not mention Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We refute the insinuations made by unnamed sources, in the Bild magazine, regarding Ukraine’s alleged plan to develop weapons or mass destruction.”
The change could delay the Ukrainian squadron’s readiness for the battlefield by several months.
“We never talked about…that we were preparing to create nukes or something like that,” said President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukrainska Pravda, citing reliable sources, reported that the person in question was Iryna Alakhverdiieva, from the Servant of the People Party of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department said that the two Chinese companies, Limbach and Redlepus, have been working together with IEMZ Kupol – a subsidiary of Almaz-Antey – a Kremlin-owned arms company – to create drones.
Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, wrote on X that Greece is ready to continue meeting Ukraine’s most urgent defence needs.
“Either Ukraine has nuclear weapons that will protect it, or they must be a part of an alliance.” “We do not know any other alliance that is as effective as NATO,” Volodymyr Zelensky told Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
The legislation approved by the parliament in December was pushed through under pressure from Western partners as well as Ukrainian business associations. The reform is also an important step towards Kyiv’s EU accession.
According to military intelligence, North Korean officials are already in the occupied territory of Ukraine.
“There will not be a war like the one of 1953.” I’m talking about the Korean War. It ended in summer of 2023 in Ukraine when two professional armies with more than a half million personnel each faced off on the battlefield,” said Valerii Zaluzhnyi. He is the current ambassador to the U.K. and former commander-in chief of Ukraine.
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