North Korean troops sent to help the Russian army in its invasion of Ukraine will be “cannon fodder”, the Pentagon says.
At a Tuesday news conference, a reporter pressed Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder to comment on rumors that a North Korean construction and engineering force was ready to enter U.S.-occupied Ukrainian territory. Russia.
Ryder did not dispute the possibility of North Korean military personnel entering the region, saying “it's certainly something to consider.”
RUSSIA AND NORTH KOREA PLEDGE TO DEFEND EACH OTHER 'WITHOUT DELAY' IN CASE OF INVASION, PROVOKING SOUTH KOREA'S INDIGATION
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un review an honor guard during the official welcoming ceremony at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
“I think if I were the administrator of North Korea's military personnel, I would be questioning my decisions in sending my forces as cannon fodder in an illegal war against Ukraine,” Ryder said.
South Korean outlet TV Chosun first reported that North Korea was planning to send the engineering corps to occupied Ukraine, citing a South Korean official.
Earlier this month, Russia signed a defensive pact with North Korea that obligates both nations to defend each other from military adversaries “without delay.”
PUTIN THANKS KIM JONG UN FOR SUPPORTING RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE AS NATIONS SIGN MUTUAL DEFENSIVE PACT
Ukrainian servicemen from the 21st Separate Mechanized Brigade fire at a Leopard 2A6 tank during a military exercise near a front line in the Donetsk region, Ukraine. (Reuters/Valentyn Ogirenko)
“If one of the two parties finds itself in a situation of war due to an armed invasion of a single country or several nations, the other party provides military and other assistance without delay, mobilizing all means at its disposal,” it states. the agreement.
South Korean officials have openly criticized the pact, characterizing it as a direct threat to their national security.
No explicit agreement was released on North Korea's involvement in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, but President Vladimir Putin thanked Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un for his “unwavering support” in the conflict.
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Soldiers of Ukraine's 93rd Mechanized Brigade fire a French MO-120-RT heavy mortar at Russian forces on the front line near the town of Bakhmut in Ukraine's Donetsk region. (Iryna Rybakova via AP)
Putin's regime has long tried to push the narrative that its invasion of Ukraine is a defensive war, retaking territory that rightfully belongs to Russia.
This characterization – accepted by the Kim regime – could open the door to justify North Korea's participation within the framework of the mutual defense pact.
An individual from South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's office, speaking on background, earlier told reporters that South Korea will consider providing arms to Ukraine after the deal as political retaliation.
