North Korea and Russia send political shockwaves with Ukraine war moves

North Korea's overseas minister arrived successful Russia connected Tuesday for talks arsenic nan Russia-Ukraine warfare appeared to return a vulnerable caller turn, pinch NATO and South Korea expressing siren that North Korean troops could soon beryllium joining successful connected Moscow's side.

NATO said connected Monday thousands of North Korean troops were moving toward nan beforehand line, a improvement which has prompted Kyiv to telephone for much weapons and an world scheme to support those troops astatine bay. 

NATO CONFIRMS NORTH KOREAN TROOPS DEPLOYED TO HELP RUSSIA IN WAR AGAINST UKRAINE

Two U.S. officials confirmed connected Tuesday that immoderate North Korean soldiers are successful nan Kursk region, a Russian separator area wherever Ukrainian forces staged a awesome incursion successful August and clasp hundreds of quadrate kilometres of territory.

The United States has said immoderate North Korean troops fighting successful nan warfare would beryllium "fair game" for Ukrainian attacks and that Washington would not enforce immoderate caller limits connected Ukraine's usage of U.S. weapons if North Korea entered nan fight.

South Korea, which remains technically astatine warfare pinch nan nuclear-armed North decades aft nan 1950-1953 Korean War, besides condemned nan deployments, pinch officials successful Seoul worried astir what Russia whitethorn beryllium providing to Pyongyang successful return.

A female inspects nan harm to a shop aft a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's onslaught connected Ukraine, successful Kyiv, Ukraine October 29, 2024.   (REUTERS/Thomas Peter)

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui arrived successful Russia's acold eastbound connected Tuesday connected her measurement to Moscow, Russian authorities media said. Russian authorities news agencies said it was not clear who Choe, making her 2nd sojourn successful six weeks, would meet. 

The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin had nary plans to meet her.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said aft talks pinch South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol connected Tuesday that nan North Korean moves were sending nan warfare into a caller phase.

"This warfare is becoming internationalized, extending beyond 2 countries," Zelenskiy said connected X.

"We agreed to fortify intelligence and expertise exchange, intensify contacts astatine each levels, particularly nan highest, successful bid to create an action strategy and countermeasures to reside this escalation," Zelenskiy said.

Yoon told Zelenskiy that if North Korea receives assistance from Russia and is capable to glean subject acquisition and knowledge from its engagement successful nan warfare it would airs a "great threat" to South Korea's security, his agency said.

South Korea has said it whitethorn commencement supplying weapons to Ukraine if North Korean troops joined Russia's war. Putin has not denied nan beingness of North Korean troops successful nan country.

SYMBOLIC? 

What domiciled nan North Korean troops whitethorn play is unclear.

"The numbers make this much than a symbolic effort, but nan troops will apt beryllium successful support roles and represent little than 1% of Russia's forces," nan Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) deliberation vessel said successful a note. 

"Russia is hopeless for further manpower, and this is 1 constituent of Russia's effort to capable nan ranks without a 2nd mobilization," it added, noting nan beingness could grow.

The troops are besides apt to play a governmental domiciled for Russia and North Korea, strengthening their hands successful relations pinch China, which has an uneasy business pinch some countries, and sending a connection to Washington and its allies, Western diplomats and analysts said.

"The person Moscow's ties to Pyongyang, nan much leverage it expects complete U.S. friends arsenic good arsenic China," Gilbert Rozman, of The Asan Forum, wrote for nan U.S.-based 38 North programme. 

Moscow needed a partner dispute to nan position quo, wary of China but unwilling to antagonize it, and adjuvant successful gathering arms aliases possibly labour needs, he said.

A fewer 1000 North Korean troops will not alteration nan people of nan warfare truthful it whitethorn beryllium a Russian effort to underscore to nan United States conscionable really disruptive Moscow tin beryllium if it wants, said 1 diplomat who said connected information of anonymity.

"Integrating North Korean troops into a very analyzable warfare instrumentality is not easy. But utilizing their beingness to scare nan United States and its friends successful Asia is rather simple," nan diplomat said.

TROOPS TRAINING

The Ukraine conflict collapsed retired erstwhile Russia invaded its neighbour successful February 2022 and has since developed into a warfare of attrition mostly fought on beforehand lines successful eastbound Ukraine, pinch immense numbers of casualties connected some sides.

The Pentagon estimated 10,000 North Korean troops had been deployed to eastbound Russia for training, up from an estimate of 3,000 troops past Wednesday.

The subject successful Russia was trying to thatch subject terminology to nan North Korean soldiers, South Korean lawmakers briefed by nan country's spy agency said connected Tuesday.

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Moscow was besides continuing to supply method support for North Korea's attempts to section a fleet of spy satellites, nan lawmakers said. 

For months, North Korea has been providing Russia pinch short-range ballistic missiles, artillery shells, and different weapons, according to intelligence officials successful nan United States, South Korea, and Ukraine.