Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed dissatisfaction with his allies on Thursday (October 31st), accusing them of a “zero” response in the face of Russia’s introduction of North Korean troops to attack Ukraine. He warned that a weak response would encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin to deploy more North Korean troops.
According to Reuters, Zelensky stated in an interview with South Korean KBS TV channel that Russia was attempting to approve the dispatch of North Korean engineering units and “a large number of civilians” to work in Russian military factories.
Zelensky said, “Putin is testing the reaction of the West… I believe that after all these reactions, Putin will make up his mind and increase the special forces… Today’s response is nothing, it is zero.”
He began publicly warning on October 13th that North Korea would be involved in the Ukrainian war. Western allies subsequently labeled this as a significant escalation but did not announce retaliatory measures or specify what actions they were prepared to take.
According to South Korean officials, South Korea has provided intelligence assistance and broader cooperation on this issue and is considering sending a military observer team to Ukraine.
On Wednesday, a Ukrainian delegation mentioned three North Korean officers in a speech to the United Nations Security Council, stating that they were accompanying thousands of soldiers deployed to North Korea heading to Russia to assist Russia in combat in Ukraine.
Russia has not denied the involvement of North Korean troops in this war. North Korea initially denied involvement but has since been defending the idea of deploying troops, stating that it complies with international law.
US Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood told the UN Security Council on Thursday that the US received intelligence showing that currently there are 8000 North Korean soldiers in the southern Russian region of Kursk, bordering northeastern Ukraine.
Zelensky also expressed surprise during the interview at the “silence” of China (CCP) on the issue of North Korean troop deployment.
Zelensky even stated that Ukraine has “clear intelligence” indicating that Russia has directly confirmed through intelligence channels to the West the deployment of North Korean troops.
“The Russian Federation has discussed this issue with the West and confirmed that, yes, North Korean military personnel will be fighting in Ukraine,” he said.
Zelensky’s outspoken comments indicate that as the countdown to the US presidential election next Tuesday continues, Ukraine’s level of disappointment with the Western support for Kiev in the critical moments of the Russia-Ukraine war is growing.
For months, the Russian military has been slowly advancing in eastern Ukraine, while Ukraine, with insufficient weapons and troops, has been striving to stop the advance of Russian forces.