10,000 North Koreans could join Russian forces in Ukraine, says Zelenskyy

Warns that third nation wading into the hostilities would turn the conflict into a 'world war'

Brussels: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday his government has intelligence information that 10,000 troops from North Korea are being prepared to join Russian forces fighting against his country, warning that a third nation wading into the hostilities would turn the conflict into a “world war”.

Zelenskyy did not go into detail about the claim that came a day after US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said Washington and its allies are alarmed by North Korea’s military support for Russia’s war in Ukraine but couldn’t confirm Ukrainian claims that soldiers were sent to fight for Moscow.

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“From our intelligence we’ve got information that North Korea sent tactical personnel and officers to Ukraine,” Zelenskyy told reporters at the NATO headquarters. “They are preparing on their land 10,000 soldiers, but they didn’t move them already to Ukraine or to Russia.” Earlier, he warned that any North Korean involvement would be “the first step to a world war”.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the allies “have no evidence that North Korean soldiers are involved in the fight. But we do know that North Korea is supporting Russia in many ways, weapons supplies, technological supplies, innovation, to support them in the war effort. And that is highly worrying.”

The Ukrainian leader’s comments raised the stakes for his Western allies as he met in Brussels with European Union leaders and then NATO defence ministers to discuss his “ victory plan ” to end the country’s devastating war with Russia. Major points of the plan include an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO and permission to use Western-supplied longer-range missiles to strike military targets deep inside Russia, steps that have been met with reluctance by Kyiv’s allies so far.

“Ukraine truly deserves to become the 33rd NATO member one day, and we must do everything to ensure this happens,” Zelenskyy said in an appeal at the alliance’s headquarters. “Ukrainians have shown that we can defend shared values, and we are standing against Russia, the biggest threat to Europe and global peace.”

He told EU leaders that “we can end this war no later than next year” if his plan is followed. Zelenskyy told reporters that the plan aims “to strengthen Ukraine” and pave the way for a diplomatic solution to end the conflict on Europe’s eastern flank. “This plan doesn’t depend on Russian will, only on the will of our partners,” he said.

In a statement after their talks with Zelenskyy, the EU leaders called for a “rapid stepping up of military support and acceleration in its delivery, in particular air defense systems, ammunition and missiles” to protect Ukraine’s population and energy infrastructure. “Russia must not prevail,” the statement said.