Biden warns of North Korean troops near Ukraine border
US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that Ukraine should respond if North Korean troops cross the border into Ukraine. He expressed concern about the presence of North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region of Russia.
"I am concerned about it," said Biden when asked about the presence of North Korean troops in the Kursk region of Russia. He acknowledged that Ukraine should respond to such a move if Kim's soldiers "cross into Ukraine."
Pentagon confirms presence of Kim's soldiers in Russia
On Tuesday evening, the Pentagon confirmed that several thousand soldiers from North Korea are heading towards the Russian Kursk Oblast, with a small number already present there.
"We remain concerned that Russia intends to use these soldiers in combat or to support combat operations against Ukrainian forces in Kursk," said Pentagon spokesman Gen. Patrick Ryder to reporters.
He added that the situation is being constantly monitored, and consultations are ongoing with the Ukrainian side and other allies.
USA: no restrictions on weapons use
Meanwhile, on Monday, Pentagon Deputy Spokesperson Sabrina Singh announced that the USA will not impose any additional restrictions on Ukraine's use of American weapons against Kim's soldiers.
"If we see DPRK troops moving in and towards the front lines, they are co-belligerents in the war (...). So, this is a calculation that North Korea has to make. They are sending their soldiers to a conflict where we see Russian casualties and losses reaching over 500,000 soldiers at this point," said Singh during Monday's press briefing.
As Singh stated, the estimated number of North Korean soldiers initially sent to training camps in eastern Russia is currently about 10,000. Some of them have begun moving westwards, towards Ukraine.
The Kursk Oblast is a Russian border area where, in August, Ukrainian forces launched an attack, occupying hundreds of square kilometres of territory.
