Washington, Seoul urge North Korea to pull troops from Russia
The United States and South Korea on Wednesday urged North Korea to withdraw its troops from Russia, expressing concerns that they could be deployed in the Ukraine conflict. Russian UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia dismissed these concerns as "mere assertions".
The US and South Korean defense chiefs called Wednesday for North Korea to withdraw its troops from Russia, where Washington says some 10,000 of them have been deployed for possible action against Ukrainian forces.
Russia and North Korea have deepened their political and military alliance as the Ukraine war has dragged on, but sending Pyongyang's troops into combat against Kyiv's forces would mark a significant escalation that has sparked widespread international concern.
"I call upon them to withdraw their troops out of Russia," US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the Pentagon, echoing a call by his South Korean counterpart Kim Yong-hyun, who stood beside him.
Austin said the United States will "continue to work with allies and partners to discourage Russia from employing these troops in combat."
But there is a "good likelihood" that Moscow will still do so, according to the US defense secretary, who said that North Korean forces are being outfitted with Russian uniforms and weapons.
Kim, speaking through a translator, said he believes the North Korean deployment to Russia "can result in the escalation of the security threats on the Korean peninsula."
(AFP)
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