U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin stated on Wednesday that approximately 10,000 North Korean troops were already in eastern Russia and that it seemed likely they would be used to support combat operations in the Kursk region of Russia, which is close to the Ukrainian border.
Given that Western nations assert the right to assist Kyiv, Russia’s envoy to the UN on Wednesday questioned why its allies, including North Korea, could not support Moscow in its war against Ukraine.
The United States, Britain, South Korea, Ukraine, and others bluntly argued with Vassily Nebenzia during a Security Council meeting, accusing Russia of violating the founding U.N. Charter and U.N. resolutions by sending troops from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to support Moscow.
Joonkook Hwang, the ambassador of South Korea to the United Nations, stated that it is unlawful to support an act of aggression, which is a complete violation of the principles of the U.N. Charter. “Any actions associated with the DPRK sending troops to Russia are blatantly against several resolutions of the U.N. Security Council.”
U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin stated on Wednesday that approximately 10,000 North Korean troops were already in eastern Russia and that it seemed likely they would be used to support combat operations in the Kursk region of Russia, which is close to the Ukrainian border.
According to Nebenzia, there is no breach of international law in Russia’s military engagement with North Korea. Since February 2022, Russia has been fighting the war in Ukraine, and it has not denied that North Korean forces are involved.
Nebenzia remarked, “Even if everything our Western colleagues have said about Russia and North Korea’s cooperation is true, why are the United States and allies trying to force on everyone the fallacious reasoning that they have the right to support the Zelenskiy regime… and Russian allies have no right to do a similar thing?”
“None of the countries that provide assistance to Ukraine are under Security Council sanctions,” said Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations.
“Receiving assistance from the fully sanctioned North Korea is a brazen violation of the U.N. Charter,” he added. “It is a blatant violation of international law to send DPRK troops to support Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.”
Since 2006, North Korea has been subject to U.N. Security Council sanctions, which have been gradually tightened over time in an effort to stop Pyongyang from developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
Although North Korea has denied sending troops to Russia, it has stated that doing so would be in accordance with international law.
North Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations, Song Kim, informed the council, “If Russia’s sovereignty and security interests are exposed to and threatened by continued dangerous attempts of the United States and the West, and if it is judged that we should respond to them with something, we will make a necessary decision.”
“Moscow and Pyongyang keep in close communication on the situation’s development and mutual security,” he stated.
But North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was forewarned by deputy U.S. Ambassador Robert Woodward: “If DPRK troops invade Ukraine in support of Russia, they will undoubtedly return in body bags.” Therefore, I would counsel Chairman Kim to reconsider acting in such a careless and hazardous manner.”