The EU has joined US and South Korean officials in expressing concern over a Russian transfer of technology to North Korea in return for military assistance against Ukraine.
“We are closely monitoring what Russia provides to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in return for its provision of arms and military personnel, including Russia’s possible provision of materials and technology to the DPRK in support of Pyongyang’s military objectives,” warned a joint statement from South Korea’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cho Tae-yul, and EU officials.
The statement further expressed deep concern over “the possibility for any transfer of nuclear or ballistic missile-related technology to the DPRK.”
North Korea is not legally allowed to develop or possess nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles under international agreements. It withdrew as a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in 2003, citing national security concerns. The United Nations Security Council has since imposed multiple sanctions on North Korea to prevent the development of its weapons programs.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that the US estimates there are some 10,000 North Korean soldiers in total in Russia.
Many are receiving training, ranging from UAVs to trench clearing, for the purpose of fighting on the front lines of the war on Ukraine, he added.
What quality of assistance North Korea’s troops will provide is as yet unknown. Kim Jong Un has claimed his army is the “strongest in the world,” but as media outlets have noted, they have never seen combat and are prone to illness and malnutrition. Reports have also emerged that some soldiers are using the opportunity to defect and escape from North Korea.
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“Now, one of the reasons that Russia is turning to these North Korean troops is that it’s desperate. Putin has been throwing more and more Russians into a meat grinder of his own making in Ukraine. Now he’s turning to North Korean troops, and that is a clear sign of weakness,” claimed Blinken.
“In terms of w