Vladimir Putin could deploy North Korean troops to fight in Ukraine as soon as this weekend, according to Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
It was already known that Pyongyang has been providing weapons to Russia to help in the ongoing war.
In a post on X on Friday, the Ukrainian president said: “The first North Korean soldiers are expected to be deployed by Russia to combat zones as early as October 27–28.”
He said it was “a clear escalation by Russia”, which has previously denied any such tie-up with North Korea.
Zelenskyy added: “The world can clearly see Russia’s true intentions: to continue the war. This is why a principled and strong response from global leaders is essential.
“North Korea’s actual involvement in combat should not be met with indifference or uncertain commentary, but with tangible pressure on both Moscow and Pyongyang, to uphold the UN Charter and to hold them accountable for this escalation.”
Earlier this week, defence secretary John Healey said the military agreement between Russia and North Korea was “a sign of desperation” on Vladimir Putin’s part.
The Russian president’s top ally Alexander Lukashenko yesterday denied that Russia has officially started to recruit North Korean soldiers to fight in Ukraine.
He said: “That’s rubbish. That would mean an escalation of the conflict.
“Knowing his character, Putin would never try to persuade a country to involve its army in the Ukraine conflict, especially on the front line.”