White House says 3,000 North Korean soldiers are training in eastern Russia

The White House on Wednesday said roughly 3,000 North Korean soldiers moved into eastern Russia in early to mid-October and may join the Kremlin’s forces in western Russia to fight the Ukrainian military.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the North Korean forces traveled by ship from North Korea to nearby Vladivostok in Russia, before heading to training sites in eastern Russia.

“We do not yet know whether these soldiers will enter into combat alongside the Russian military. But this is certainly a highly concerning probability,” Mr. Kirby said.

He said the North Korean soldiers may move into western Russia to engage against the Ukrainian military, and the U.S. has told Ukraine what it knows about their movements.

“We’re certainly consulting closely with other allies, partners and countries in the region on the implications of such a dramatic move and how we might respond,” Mr. Kirby said.

If North Korea joins Russia on the battlefield, he said, “this development would demonstrate Russia’s growing desperation in its war against Ukraine.”

“Russia is suffering extraordinary casualties on the battlefield every single day, but [Russian President Vladimir] Putin appears intent on continuing this war,” Mr. Kirby said. “If Russia is indeed forced to turn to North Korea for manpower, this would be a sign of weakness, not strength, on the part of the Kremlin.”

He said it is too soon to tell if North Korean involvement would turn the tide of the war, which started in February 2022 with Mr. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mr. Kirby said direct cooperation between Russia and North Korea would violate U.N. security resolutions that prohibit the procurement of arms and arms training from Pyongyang.

President Biden said the U.S., in consultation with other Group of Seven nations, will provide $20 billion in loans to Ukraine, which will be paid back by the interest earned from immobilized Russian sovereign assets.

“In other words, Ukraine can receive the assistance it needs now, without burdening taxpayers,” Mr. Biden said Wednesday. “These loans will support the people of Ukraine as they defend and rebuild their country. And our efforts make it clear: tyrants will be responsible for the damages they cause.”