NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned Pyongyang and Moscow against sending North Korean soldiers to fight in the war in Ukraine.
North Korea’s deployment of soldiers to fight with Russia in North Korea “would represent a significant escalation,” Rutte said on X after talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The two discussed South Korea’s close relationship with the Western military alliance, Rutte said, noting their cooperation in the defense industry and their “interconnected security.”
On Friday, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) accused the North Korean military of having already sent about 1,500 soldiers to Russia for training ahead of their expected deployment to Ukraine.
In total, the agency said North Korea has decided to send about 12,000 soldiers to support Russia, including special forces.
