Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday publicly condemned increasing Russian-North Korean collaboration regarding Moscow's war in Ukraine, which Zelensky for the first time said hasn't stopped at providing arms, but has even witnessed Korean troops present in the battle zone.
"We see an increasing alliance between Russia and regimes like North Korea. This is no longer just about transferring weapons. It is actually about transferring people from North Korea to the occupying military forces," Zelensky stated.
He highlighted the allegation as another reason that Ukraine needs more urgent support from it Western partners. Ukraine forces remain outmanned and outgunned along the front lines in the east.
"The front line needs more support," Zelensky emphasized. "When we talk about giving Ukraine greater long-range capabilities and more decisive supplies for our forces, it’s not just a list of military equipment. It’s about increasing the pressure on the aggressor – pressure that will be stronger than what Russia can handle. And it’s about preventing an even larger war."
Zelensky has of late sought to craft his messaging in response to the obvious signs of war-weariness among the European and American publics, hence his talking point of preventing a larger war.
"True peace can only be achieved through strength and the entire next week will be dedicated to working with our partners for the sake of such strength, for the sake of true peace," Zelensky continued.
The claim that North Korean troops are actually deployed alongside Russian forces on the ground is nothing new. Last week, the South Korean government made a public accusation saying North Korean troops are currently fighting on behalf of Russian forces in Ukraine.
The charge was specifically made by Seoul's defense minister Kim Yong-hyun on Tuesday. He described that he has reason to believe that six North Korean officers were killed in Donetsk when a Ukrainian missile hit their location on October 3rd. He called reports which first surfaced in Ukrainian media "highly likely".
The accusation, which lacks hard evidence, came after months of official US allegations saying the north has sent arms and ammo into Russia by the trainload.
What is clear is that Moscow and Pyongyang have made no secret that they are deepening their ties, including on the military front, but both sides have denied North Korean involvement in Ukraine.
There have been several exchanges of defense delegations, and Kim has visited Russia, and Putin even made a very rare visit to Pyongyang in June. The two leaders signed a mutual defense agreement this past summer.
If true this would mark a major escalation of N.Korea's involvement. "More North Korean troops could be deployed in the war," Seoul has warned. The West wouldn't be able to do much, having already put fairly maximum sanctions on both Russia and North Korea. It could be another dangerous sign that the Ukraine war is getting more and more internationalized.