Moscow: Russia on Monday asserted its commitment to enhancing its relationship with North Korea, amidst declining to verify claims made by South Korean intelligence that North Korea has dispatched troops to aid Russian forces in Ukraine.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Kremlin’s statement came in response to a Friday report from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), which alleged that North Korea had decided to send approximately 12,000 troops to support Russia in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, with about 1,500 already transported to Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, while addressing the press on Saturday, expressed his inability to confirm these deployments but noted that such developments, if true, would be concerning.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov addressed the claims during a press briefing, highlighting the discrepancies in reports from South Korea and the Pentagon, which has not confirmed the alleged troop movements. “We see a lot of contra
dictory information: the South Koreans claim one thing, then the Pentagon says they have no confirmation of such statements,” Peskov explained, suggesting a cautious approach to the unverified information.
Peskov also responded to earlier allegations this month, which he had dismissed as “fake news.” When pressed about whether North Korean troops would participate in what Russia terms its “special military operation,” Peskov deferred to the Defense Ministry for answers.
Regarding the broader relationship with North Korea, Peskov emphasized its strategic and neighborly significance. “North Korea is our close neighbor, our partner, and we are developing our relations in all areas. This is our sovereign right,” he stated, reassuring that the partnership aims to be non-provocative to other nations.