North Korea claims military cooperation with Russia aligned with international law – JURIST
North Korea announced on Friday that sending troops to support Russia in the war in Ukraine would align with international law, though it held back from confirming any actual deployments in a statement from North Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong Gyu to North Korea’s state news agency.
Friday’s statement comes in the wake of claims that Ukraine, the US, and South Korea have evidence that North Korea has already sent thousands of troops to Russia, potentially for deployment against Ukraine. Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, the GUR, reported spotting North Korean ground forces in Kursk on Wednesday, where Russian troops have been battling a surprise Ukrainian raid since August. The GUR estimated that there were 500 North Korean officers, including three army generals, to support Russian forces, although North Korean troops have not had a presence confirmed in Ukraine.
In the media release, North Korea stated that it acts in accordance with the regulations of international law. Russia and North Korea have a recently ratified mutual defence pact.
The EU claims that such deployments would be illegal because they would be considered participation in an illegal war of aggression. The High Representative of the EU went on to criticize Russia for breaching UN resolutions which prohibit military cooperation with North Korea.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sidestepped directly denying the presence of North Korean troops in Russia during Thursday’s BRICS press conference. Instead, he emphasized that the details of Russia and North Korea’s mutual defence agreement are solely for Moscow and Pyongyang to decide, while blaming the West for fuelling the war in Ukraine.
On Thursday, Russian parliament ratified a mutual defense pact sealed in June between President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. That same day, Putin remarked that he “never doubted” Kim’s commitment to mutual support when they signed the agreement in Pyongyang.
