NATO chief Mark Rutte stated on Thursday that North Korea’s military collaboration with Russia against Ukraine poses a threat beyond Europe and must be addressed collectively.
“This role of North Korea essentially exemplifies how China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran are working together. This is increasingly a threat not only for the European part of NATO but also for the United States, as Russia is supplying North Korea with advanced military technology in exchange for Pyongyang’s support in the war against Ukraine,” Rutte told reporters before a meeting with European leaders in Budapest.
Secretary Rutte said that if Russia succeeds in Ukraine, it will become emboldened and better equipped, presenting a greater threat at NATO’s border and for the United States.
The NATO leader expressed his anticipation to discuss with members of Mr. Trump’s new administration on “collective approaches to addressing these threats and maintaining security in our part of the world.”
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said at a press conference on Thursday in Seoul that his government would “gradually adjust our phased support strategy” depending on North Korea’s level of involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“This means we are not ruling out the possibility of providing weapons,” Mr. Yoon said.
Officials from South Korea and the United States have reported that North Korea has deployed more than 10,000 troops to the Kursk region in Russia.
On Wednesday, foreign ministers from the Group of Seven advanced economies, along with South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, issued a joint statement expressing “serious concerns” about North Korea’s “direct support for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.”
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the increasing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including North Korea’s export of weapons and the illicit procurement of ballistic missiles by Pyongyang, in violation of numerous UN Security Council resolutions, as well as Russia’s use of these missiles and munitions against Ukraine,” the ministers said, warning that this could dangerously escalate the conflict, with serious consequences for Europe and security in the Indo-Pacific region.
They also expressed serious concerns over the potential transfer of nuclear or missile technology from Russia to North Korea.
Drone Attacks
Ukrainian officials reported damage to residential buildings on Thursday from Russian drone attacks.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced via Telegram that the Russian assault damaged homes and residential buildings in five districts of the Ukrainian capital.
Serhii Popko, head of Kyiv’s Military Administration, stated that Ukrainian air defenses shot down dozens of drones over the Kyiv region, and that two people were injured in these attacks.
In the Odessa region of southern Ukraine, Governor Oleh Kiper reported Thursday that debris from downed drones damaged several buildings and injured one person.
Serhiy Lysak, the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, posted on Telegram that five houses were damaged overnight by Russian drone attacks, though there were no injuries.
Officials in Cherkasy, Kherson, and Mykolaiv also reported on Thursday that air defenses downed Russian drones in their regions.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced it destroyed two Ukrainian drones over Voronezh, where officials reported no material damage or casualties.
