President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told reporters on October 21 that North Korea is supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine for economic benefit.
At a meeting attended by the Kiev Independent, Zelenskyy was asked about North Korea’s increasing support for Moscow, which has reportedly evolved in recent years from mere weapons to boots on the ground.
“I think it’s for the money,” he said, adding, “I think North Korea is very poor, so they will send their people to the front.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un signed a security pact, pledging to provide aid to each other if either is attacked.
North Korea is establishing itself as Russia’s main arms supplier, as Russia’s military inventories run low and Western sanctions hamper domestic production capacity.
Moscow reportedly received an extensive military package from North Korea, including ballistic missiles and millions of artillery shells.
Financial details of the deal have not been made public, but Russia reportedly provided North Korea with technology to help deploy tanks and aircraft, as well as reconnaissance satellites, in exchange for ammunition already supplied.
Zelenskiy also said he believed North Korea’s military would have a hard time operating effectively while fighting for Russia.
“We have deployed officers and technical personnel in the temporarily occupied territories (in Ukraine),” he said, adding, “They sent officers in so that they first understood what was going on, and then the troops I think it’s for the purpose of dispatching people,” he added.
“But how do you manage them? How do you command them? I’m talking about language. I think these are serious difficulties.”
Baltic states are sounding the alarm against Russia, but Washington is still not listening.
For Lithuanian parliamentarian Zygimantas Pavilionis, history is repeating itself. The Kremlin’s military sights are set on Europe beyond Ukraine, and the United States is not heeding warnings from the Baltic states. “In Europe they listen to the Baltic countries, but in America they are very arrogant.”
