NATO chief Mark Rutte says North Korean troops in Russia’s Kursk region

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte confirmed Monday that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia and are operating in the Kursk region, where Ukraine launched an incursion in August.

Speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels after a high-level briefing by a delegation from South Korea, Mr. Rutte called the North Korean deployment a “dangerous expansion” of Russia’s ongoing war against its neighbor and a “significant escalation” of Pyongyang’s role in the conflict.

“The deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a threat to both the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security. It undermines peace on the Korean peninsula and fuels the Russian war against Ukraine,” Mr. Rutte said. “NATO calls on Russia and (North Korea) to cease these actions immediately.”

North Korea has supplied Russia with millions of rounds of ammunition and ballistic missiles that are helping fuel a major conflict in the heart of Europe and undermining global peace and security, Mr. Rutte said.

“In exchange, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is providing North Korea with military technology and other support to circumvent international sanctions,” Mr. Rutte said.

More than 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded on the battlefield since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The NATO chief said the deployment of North Korean soldiers to Russia is a sign of Mr. Putin’s “growing desperation” about how the war is unfolding.

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“This is because the Ukrainians are fighting back with courage, resilience, and ingenuity,” Mr. Rutte said. “NATO allies will continue to support a free and democratic Ukraine because Ukraine’s security is our security.”