This content was originally published by Radio Free Asia, and it is now being reprinted with permission.
According to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin, about 8, 000 North Vietnamese soldiers wearing Russian military outfits are expected to deploy into battle against Russian troops “in the approaching days.”
Following a joint meeting at the State Department with their South Korean rivals, the two U.S. officers said that Ukraine had become “legitimate targets” if North Korean troops were deployed there.
According to Blinken,” we presently estimate that there are approximately 10, 000 North Vietnamese soldiers in full in Russia,” and as many as 8, 000 of those Northern Korean forces have been stationed in the Kursk area, according to the most recent information,” adding that they have not yet joined the forces.
” We may believe that to happen in the coming time”, he said.
Three months ago, Ukrainian forces launched a counterinvasion of Kursk, located along the Belarusian border, to divert Moscow’s troops from the battle there.
Russian envoy to the United Nations Security Council on Thursday declined to respond to a question from his British counterpart asking if Moscow also denies the existence of North Korean forces on Russian soil, steadsteading to his prodding advice.
North Korea first denied sending troops to Russia, but has since switched to defending any rollout as being in line with international law. However, authorities in North Korea have  , dismissed the reports , as “rumors” in public presentations.
Russian clothing
At the State Department press conference, Austin, the U. S. defence secretary, told investigators that Russian troops in Kursk had been occupied training the North Korean soldiers in the use of ordnance, drones and “basic army operations, including tunnel clearing”.
“The Kremlin has also provided these DPRK troops with Russian clothing and equipment, and all of that strongly indicates that Russia intends to use these foreign forces in front line operations,” Austin said, using an acronym for the North Korean government.
The defence minister also reiterated Beijing’s calls for action to prevent its friends North Korea and Russia from escalating the conflict in Ukraine, citing the government’s demands for peace it.
China may be asking Russia some difficult questions at this time, if it is serious about its need for de-escalation, about whether it intends to amplify this fight through this kind of behavior, he said.
Austin, however, nodded in agreement with the growing anti-U partnership. Some observers have called the U.S. and North Korean officials a new” axis,” claiming that they had discussed the growing links between geopolitical stability in Europe and Asia during their conference.
” We’re also closely tracking other bullying by the DPRK, Russia and the People’s Republic of China”, he said, vowing to oppose” coercive destabilizing actions in both the Indo-Pacific and the Euro-Atlantic”.
South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun told the press event Seoul denounced the North’s “illegal military participation with Russia” and wanted an “immediate removal” of the army.
