After meeting with South Korean security and defense officials on Monday, the alliance’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, stated he could verify the deployment after weeks of intelligence reports.
The deployment was seen as a “significant escalation” and a “dangerous expansion” of Russia’s conflict in Ukraine by the recently appointed NATO chief.
In response to allegations that Pyongyang was getting ready to dispatch thousands of troops to support its ally, President Vladimir Putin last week refused to deny that North Korean forces had landed in Russia.
This is our sovereign decision,” Putin said, sidestepping the question during a news conference. “Whether we use it or not, where, how, or whether we engage in exercises, training, or transfer some experience. It’s our business.”
Rutte’s intervention on Monday marked the first time Nato had formally acknowledged that Pyongyang’s forces were operating in Russia. He added that North Korea had already sent ballistic missiles and millions of rounds of ammunition to Moscow for use in Ukraine.
In return, President Putin has agreed to send military technology and other support to help North Korea evade international sanctions, Rutte said. The partnership, he added, was “undermining global peace and security.”.
