Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says North Korean troops are poised to join the war, cancels UN chief’s visit

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — North Korean troops are poised to beryllium deployed by Russia connected nan battlefield successful Ukraine arsenic early arsenic this weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Friday.

Western officials person warned that North Korean units joining nan conflict would stoke nan almost three-year war and bring geopolitical consequences arsenic acold distant arsenic nan Indo-Pacific region.

The anticipation has alarmed leaders and deepened negotiated tensions.

White House nationalist information spokesperson John Kirby said Friday that nan apical nationalist information advisers for nan United States, Japan and South Korea met and “expressed sedate concern” astir North Korea’s unit deployments for imaginable usage pinch Russia connected nan battlefield against Ukraine.

Kirby said that nan nationalist information advisers from nan 3 countries “call connected Russia and nan DPRK to cease these actions that only service to grow nan information implications of Russia’s sadistic and forbidden warfare beyond Europe and into nan Indo-Pacific.”

“It is imaginable that location are now much than 3,000 troops from North Korea that person been dispatched to Russia for outfitting and for training,” Kirby said connected a telephone pinch reporters.

Kirby said nan U.S. authorities did not person patient intelligence assessments connected wherever nan troops were going “but we judge it is surely possible” and “perhaps moreover likely” that immoderate of nan North Korean troops would beryllium deployed to nan Kursk region of Russia, wherever Ukraine has held immoderate territory since capturing it successful August. But he cautioned that he did not cognize successful what capacity and to what intent nan North Korean troops would beryllium deployed.

A elder charismatic successful nan Ukrainian statesmanlike agency told The Associated Press connected Friday that Zelenskyy had canceled a planned sojourn to Kyiv by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The official, who said connected information of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publically astir nan matter, said nan sojourn was expected to travel aft this week’s summit successful nan Russian metropolis of Kazan of nan BRICS bloc of processing economies, which Guterres attended.

A photograph of Guterres shaking hands pinch Russian President Vladimir Putin astatine nan acme triggered an outcry successful Ukraine.

Zelenskyy, successful a station connected Telegram, said Ukrainian intelligence had wished that “the first North Korean subject will beryllium utilized by Russia successful combat zones” betwixt Sunday and Monday.

He said connected Telegram that nan deployment was “an evident escalating move by Russia.” He didn’t supply immoderate further details, including wherever nan North Korean soldiers whitethorn beryllium sent.

Russia has been conducting a ferocious summertime run on nan eastbound beforehand successful Ukraine, gradually compelling Kyiv to surrender ground. But Russia has struggled to push Ukrainian forces retired of its Kursk separator region pursuing an incursion almost 3 months ago.

North Korean units were detected connected Wednesday successful Kursk, according to Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, known by its acronym GUR.

The soldiers had undergone respective weeks of training astatine bases successful eastbound Russia and had been equipped pinch apparel for nan upcoming winter, GUR said successful a connection precocious Thursday.

It estimated nan number of North Korean soldiers sent by Pyongyang to Russia astatine astir 12,000, including immoderate 500 officers and 3 generals.

GUR provided nary grounds for its claims.

Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said Friday connected nan societal level X that intelligence reports indicated nan North Korean soldiers “will astir apt first beryllium deployed successful Kursk.”

The deployment of North Korean forces nether a subject pact betwixt Moscow and Pyongyang brings a caller magnitude to nan conflict, which is Europe’s biggest warfare since World War II and has costs tens of thousands of lives connected some sides, including galore civilians.

The U.S. said Wednesday that 3,000 North Korean troops person been deployed to Russia and are training astatine respective locations, calling nan move very serious.

Zelenskyy said a week agone that his authorities has intelligence accusation that 10,000 troops from North Korea are being readied to subordinate Russian forces fighting against his country. He said that a 3rd federation wading into nan hostilities would move nan conflict into a “world war.”

North Korea had already been supplying ammunition to Russia under a defense pact, but putting boots connected nan crushed could severely complicate a warfare that has inflamed world politics, pinch astir Western countries supporting Kyiv.

Putin, meanwhile, has looked for support among BRICS countries.

He has neither confirmed nor denied that North Korean troops were successful Russia.

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Mike Corder successful The Hague and Josh Boak successful Washington contributed.

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Follow AP’s sum of nan warfare successful Ukraine astatine https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine