The Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will not succeed in winning the war in Ukraine, even with the assistance of soldiers from North Korea. This was stated by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during a briefing, noting that the U.S. and its partners are discussing options in response to Russia's involvement of North Korean military forces.
"We take this very seriously. We urge the Kremlin to change its course. We fully understand the implications for the security of both Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. Putin will not prevail in Ukraine, even with greater support from North Korea," the Pentagon chief emphasized.
At the same time, Austin did not specify what exact measures the U.S. is taking in response to the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia. He also mentioned that he cannot say definitively whether these troops will be involved in combat, but once again expressed "great concern" about this situation.
"But if they are brought in, it raises significant concerns. Therefore, we are very worried about the possibility of these forces being used in combat," he stated.
He pointed out that North Korea has sent about 10,000 soldiers for training in Russia, and that Russia is equipping these troops with clothing and weapons from its own army.
"Russia has signed UN Security Council resolutions committing not to provide military assistance to North Korea. Of course, we know that Putin has gone to great lengths to acquire weapons from North Korea and Iran," Austin said.
North Korean Soldiers in Ukraine
Journalists from the Financial Times noted that the Russians have redeployed up to 3,000 North Korean soldiers to the Kursk region. According to the publication, they are located within a 50-kilometer zone from the border with Ukraine.
At the same time, military expert Roman Svitan states that currently Russia is not capable of transferring a large number of North Korean soldiers to the Kursk region. According to him, we are not talking about thousands; at most, it is a few brigades that will still be retraining at training grounds in Russia for another month.