(As delivered)
Good morning. This morning, a delegation from the Republic of Korea, a close NATO partner, briefed the North Atlantic Council and our other Indo-Pacific partners - Australia, Japan and New Zealand - on North Korea's growing involvement in Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.
The delegation included senior representatives from the Republic of Korea's National Intelligence Service and Ministry of National Defence. Allies also shared their intelligence assessments. Today, I can confirm that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia, and that North Korean military units have been deployed to the Kursk region.
The deployment of North Korean troops represents: one, a significant escalation in the DPRK ongoing involvement in Russia's illegal war. Two, yet another breach of UN Security Council resolutions. And three, a dangerous expansion of Russia's war.
NATO calls on Russia and the DPRK to cease these actions immediately.
The deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a threat to both the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security. It undermines peace on the Korean Peninsula and fuels the Russian war against Ukraine. Pyongyang has already supplied Russia with millions of rounds of ammunition and ballistic missiles that are fuelling a major conflict in the heart of Europe and undermining global peace and security. In exchange, [President] Putin is providing North Korea with military technology and other support to circumvent international sanctions.
This underlines the importance of democracies standing together to uphold our values and to face our shared security challenges, but the deployment of North Korean troops to Kursk is also a sign of [President] Putin's growing desperation. Over 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in [President] Putin's war, and he is unable to sustain his assault to Ukraine without foreign support. This is because the Ukrainians are fighting back with courage, resilience and ingenuity.
NATO Allies will continue to support a free and democratic Ukraine, because Ukraine's security is our security. Today, we discussed the need to further strengthen military support to Ukraine. We are actively consulting within the Alliance, with Ukraine, and with our Indo-Pacific partners on these developments, and we continue to monitor the situation closely. Later today, I have scheduled calls with President Yoon of the Republic of Korea, and with Defence Minister Umerov of Ukraine.
Thank you.
