Russia hopes to receive an additional 30,000 troops from North Korea and is preparing to deploy them near the border, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. If realized, the war between Russia and Ukraine is expected to escalate, while tensions between allies such as South Korea, the United States and Europe and countries including Russia and North Korea are also feared to rise. In addition, the prospect of North Korea-U.S. talks sought by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to diminish.
In a speech posted on X, formerly Twitter, on the 25th, President Zelensky said, "Russia wants an additional 30,000 troops from North Korea," adding, "Since June, preparations have been underway to accommodate them in Russia's Voronezh region." Voronezh is a region in southwestern Russia bordering Ukraine.
President Zelensky stressed, "North Korea is preparing to deploy additional ballistic missile launchers to Russia," adding, "This is not a threat to Ukraine alone." He warned, "Russia is helping North Korea learn how to wage war, improve its weapons and gain combat experience," and "all of this poses a threat to Asian countries within the range of North Korean missiles."
North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui made an official visit to Russia on the 18th. At the time, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, "I once again express my gratitude to the North Korean leadership for their assistance in carrying out the special military operation," the Kremlin reported. North Korea is estimated to have sent approximately 20,000 combat and engineering troops to the Kursk region in a total of four rounds so far. NK News, a U.S.-based media outlet specializing in North Korea, reported that 14,000 troops were stationed as of early this year, citing a report by Ukrainian intelligence authorities.
If North Korea's large-scale additional deployment is realized, the prospect of North Korea-U.S. talks is expected to diminish accordingly. Experts have analyzed that the close ties between North Korea and Russia leave North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un with little incentive to hold talks with the United States. Receiving various forms of support not only from China but also from Russia, North Korea has little need to meet with the United States, they said. Accordingly, experts had believed that the prospect of North Korea-U.S. talks would increase only if the close ties with Russia eased, but North Korea and Russia appear to be growing even closer.
