Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed frustration over what he describes as the West’s weak response to the recent deployment of North Korean troops to Russia’s Kursk region. In a statement to South Korean media outlet KBS, Zelensky said that although North Korean troops had not yet engaged in combat, he expects them to be active soon, potentially within days. He criticized Western allies for not acting decisively in response to this development, suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin may escalate the situation by increasing the number of North Korean forces if met with only a “zero” reaction from the West.
The U.S. recently confirmed that approximately 8,000 North Korean soldiers have been stationed in Kursk, with Pentagon estimates now suggesting this number could be as high as 10,000. Deputy U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood noted at a UN Security Council meeting that North Korean troops have been stationed close to Ukraine’s borders, posing a potential threat. While these troops have not yet engaged in active fighting, both Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Zelensky foresee their involvement soon, as part of what Zelensky describes as a “war of two countries against one.”
