The United States is worried about reports that North Korea is sending soldiers to help Russia in its war against Ukraine. On Monday, Robert Wood, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said that if these reports are true, it would be a serious problem for the growing ties between North Korea and Russia. The US and its partner countries are monitoring this situation carefully.

 

Will North Korea's troops enter the Ukraine conflict?

 

South Korea's spy agency says that North Korea has already sent 1,500 soldiers to Russia’s Far East. The agency thinks North Korea might send up to 12,000 soldiers in total to help Russia in its war against Ukraine. If this is true, it would give a big boost to Russia’s military.

The US State Department has not yet confirmed if the reports are true. On Monday, a spokesperson named Vedant Patel said that they are still checking to see if North Korea really sent soldiers.

 

How will this affect global relations?

 

France and the United Kingdom are very worried about the idea of North Korean soldiers helping Russia in the war. A French representative at the UN, Nicolas de Riviere, said this would make the situation worse. The British UN Ambassador, Barbara Woodward, said that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be struggling to find enough Russian soldiers, so he is turning to North Korea for help.

South Korea’s UN Ambassador Joonkook Hwang warned that North Korea could ask Russia for big rewards, like military help or money, in return for sending soldiers. He also said that North Korea might want technology related to nuclear weapons in exchange for helping Russia.

Russia has said these reports are not true. The Russian UN Ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, blamed Western countries for making threats from places like North Korea, Iran, and China seem bigger than they are. Russia’s government, called the Kremlin, hasn’t directly talked about these claims, but its spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said that Russia’s work with North Korea isn’t meant to harm any other countries.

North Korea has faced UN sanctions since 2006 because of its nuclear weapons and missile activities. If North Korea works with Russia in a military way, it worries Western countries a lot.