Zelensky criticises allies over North Korean troop deployment
President Volodymyr Zelensky once again criticised international partners on Friday for what he referred to the previous day as their “zero” response to the deployment of North Korean troops to fight alongside Russian soldiers against Ukraine.
In his Friday evening address to his compatriots—broadcast for the first time with video illustrations, showing Zelensky speaking but not appearing in person—the Ukrainian president stated that Kiev's solution would be to carry out preventive strikes on North Korean camps, provided that allies would break free from their inertia and grant Ukraine the necessary weapons and permissions to utilise them, as reported by news.ro.
"We are now observing every location where Russia is gathering these North Korean soldiers on its territory—all their camps. We could carry out preventive strikes if we had the capacity to sustain such actions for a sufficient duration," Zelensky emphasised. "This particularly depends on our partners."
"However, instead of the long-range capabilities we require, the United States is merely observing, as are the United Kingdom and Germany. Everyone seems to be awaiting the North Korean army's initiation of attacks against Ukrainians," Zelensky stated.
The Ukrainian president warned that North Korea's involvement in this war in Europe constitutes a threat to the entire world that must be curtailed. In this context, he also criticised China for failing to take action to restrain the North Koreans, despite its claims of supporting peace.
"We are aware of all the logistics between Russia and North Korea that facilitate Russian aggression, and this logistical support must be halted. This depends, in particular, on the powerful nations in Asia. It hinges on China, which has frequently spoken about the necessity of ending the war. However, it remains passive. And while these words are articulated, North Korean soldiers are being deployed to the front lines," Zelensky underscored.
He contends that North Korean troops should not be afforded the opportunity to learn “modern warfare” from Russia, and that Moscow must not be permitted to seek and secure allies. "We must not allow any enemy of the free world the time to expand," Zelensky urged.
Pyongyang has declared its unwavering support for Russia until a decisive victory is achieved in Ukraine. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui assured her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during their meeting in Moscow on Friday, as reported by Reuters. "Our historically friendly relations, which have withstood the trials of time, are now elevated to a new level of unassailable military camaraderie," Choe told Lavrov, commending the contributions of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The United States has reported that, as of now, approximately 8,000 North Korean troops are stationed in the Kursk region of Russia. U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood stated on Thursday during a Security Council meeting, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his expectation that North Korean soldiers will be deployed to combat Ukrainian forces in the coming days.
"We have not yet observed these troops being deployed in combat against Ukrainian forces, but we anticipate that this will occur in the coming days," Blinken warned.
The United States has unveiled a new military aid package for Ukraine, valued at $425 million. This new package, arriving just days prior to the U.S. presidential elections, encompasses air defence systems, artillery munitions, armoured vehicles, and anti-tank weaponry. The weapons will be sourced directly from U.S. military reserves, as stated in a Pentagon announcement, which emphasises that Washington will persist in its efforts to address Ukraine's urgent requests on the battlefield to defend against Russian aggression.
The United States stands as the foremost provider of military support to Kiev, having allocated in excess of $60 billion in military assistance since the onset of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
