In a lengthy post on social media on Oct. 31, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western allies to develop “concrete solutions” to provide additional supports for Ukraine as North Korean troops prepare to engage Ukrainian forces on the battlefield.
North Korean soldiers were deployed to Kursk Oblast in late October in preparations to fight alongside Russian troops. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a press conference on Oct. 31 that at least 8,000 North Korean forces have been deployed to Russia’s Kursk Oblast to participate in the war.
“North Korean troops have not yet engaged in combat, but this is a matter of days, not months,” Zelensky wrote in his post on X. “When deployed, they will be pushed forward, sustaining heavy losses, as Russia tries to minimize its own troop mobilization.”
According to Blinken, Russia has been training North Korean soldiers in artillery, drones, and basic infantry operations, including trench clearing, indicating that they “fully intend” to use these forces in front-line operations.
Urging Western powers to stand united behind Ukraine, Zelensky said that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “testing the world’s reaction” with the influx of North Korean troops along the country’s border.
Zelensky’s comments, made ahead of an interview on South Korean television, are aimed at encouraging allies, including South Korea, to reconsider their positions in light of the deepening cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
The statement comes as Kyiv prepares for a visit from a South Korean delegation seeking to share intelligence on North Korean soldiers and discuss mutual cooperation. “We are particularly interested in South Korea’s expertise in air defense and hope to collaborate further in the defense sector,” Zelensky wrote.
Yonhap news agency reported on Oct. 30, citing a senior South Korean presidential official, that the country is not currently considering directly providing 155 mm artillery shells to Ukraine. Experts previously told the Kyiv Independent that South Korea could provide the most significant support to Ukraine through ammunition shells.
Ahead of the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5, Zelensky also called on the next U.S. president to maintain the country’s commitment to back Ukraine: “The next U.S. president may strengthen or weaken support for Ukraine. If that support weakens, Russia will seize more territory, it would prevent us from winning this war,” Zelensky said. “A genuine desire from the United States to end this war swiftly is crucial.”
While Democratic candidate Kamala Harris has criticized calls for concessions from Ukraine, Republican candidate Donald Trump has suggested that Ukraine could cede territory in exchange for peace.
“Ukraine’s territories are not negotiable. Our constitution doesn’t allow us to abandon our rightful lands, regardless of Russia’s claims or constitutional manipulations,” Zelensky added.
Emerging alliances
Amid increased military casualties and concern over the Russian public’s reaction to domestic mobilization, Putin visited Pyongyang in June to ratchet up support for Russia’s war in Ukraine — signing a mutual defense pact with the country’s dictator Kim Jung-Un.
In his post, Zelensky called for new military alliances to emerge to counter the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
“It may be time for an Asian Security Alliance,” Zelensky said. “Both Japan and South Korea are strong, civilized nations, and reaching out to China could be essential in countering North Korea’s aggression, as North Korea is actively pulling that region into a war.”
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has been urging China, which maintains relations with North Korea, to put pressure on Pyongyang to withdraw North Korean troops from Ukraine’s front line, CNN reported on Oct. 29, citing a U.S. official.
“I’m surprised by China’s silence. I can’t say that China is on our side, but as a regional security guarantor, its silence is striking,” Zelensky said on social media.
Despite the urging of the United States, some Western officials are pessimistic about the country’s ability to pressure China into helping pull back North Korean troops, with a NATO official telling CNN that China has been a “critical enabler” of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
China’s support for Russia’s defense industry has played a significant role in shifting the battlefield momentum in Ukraine in Moscow’s favor. Reuters reported on Sept. 25 citing European intelligence sources that Russia has secretly established a development and production program in China for attack drones to be used in the war in Ukraine
On Oct. 24, China denied that it was of any North Korean troops inside Russia preparing to join Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, despite warnings from the U.S. and South Korea.
"Testing the world’s reaction"
As Ukraine continues to fight off Russian attacks along its easter front, it will soon be forced to fend off attacks from another aggressor — as world leaders continue to deliver “only bold political statements,” and not concrete actions, Zelensky said.
“(Putin) is testing the West, NATO, and even South Korea, observing their response to North Korean forces joining his campaign. If the response is weak, we should expect the numbers of foreign soldiers on our soil to increase.”
Ukraine has said that North Korea has sent nearly 12,000 troops to Russia, including 500 officers and three generals, according to HUR.
Despite North Korean troops not having any live combat experience, Zelensky argues that they are gaining “invaluable combat experience, learning artillery, drone warfare, and modern combat tactics” — warning that what is happening in Ukraine may one day occur elsewhere.
“Consider how close North Korea is to Seoul—just 40-50 km, the range of modern artillery, not even missiles,” Zelensky wrote. “Our own towns were obliterated by artillery. I hope South Korea never faces this, but preparation is critical.”
Fearing that little action will be taken to curb a major escalation in the war, Zelensky invoked memories of world leader’s unwillingness to act to prevent an imminent full-scale war. “When Russia invaded and occupied Crimea ten years ago, there was little global reaction, aside from a few quiet statements. It’s the same today with North Korea’s involvement,” the president wrote.
Despite Zelensky’s outcry, some experts fear the damage has already been done.
“When North Korea began supplying Russia with artillery shells in late 2022, the West took no action. A year later, the first reports started to emerge of Russia launching North Korean ballistic missiles at Ukrainian targets,” Peter Dickinson, an expert at the Atlantic Council wrote.
Now, Ukraine not only has to contend with a Russian army that seeks to increase its fighting force by 180,000 troops, but a North Korean regime that gains “military technologies and the invaluable experience of its people,” Zelensky concluded.
8,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Kursk Oblast, Blinken says
There have been no clashes between the North Korean and Ukrainian military so far, Antony Blinken said, adding that they can happen “in the coming days.”