Good morning. This morning, a delegation from the Republic of Korea, a close NATO partner, briefed the North Atlantic Council and our other Indo-Pacific partners – Australia, Japan and New Zealand – on North Korea’s growing involvement in Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.

The delegation included senior representatives of the National Intelligence Service of the Republic of Korea and the Ministry of National Defense. The allies also shared their intelligence assessments. Today I can confirm that North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia, and that North Korean military units have been deployed to the Kursk region.

The deployment of North Korean troops represents: First, a significant escalation of the DPRK’s continued involvement in Russia’s illegal war. Two: yet another violation of UN Security Council resolutions. And third, a dangerous extension of the Russian war.

NATO calls on Russia and the DPRK to immediately cease these actions.

The deepening of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea threatens both Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security. It undermines peace on the Korean Peninsula and fuels Russia’s war against Ukraine. Pyongyang has already supplied Russia with millions of munitions and ballistic missiles that are fueling a major conflict in the heart of Europe and undermining global peace and security. In return, (President) Putin provides North Korea with military technology and other support to circumvent international sanctions.

This underlines the importance of democracies working together to uphold our values ​​and meet our shared security challenges, but the deployment of North Korean troops in Kursk is also a sign of (President) Putin’s growing desperation. More than 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or injured in (President) Putin’s war, and he cannot continue his attack on Ukraine without foreign support. This is because Ukrainians are fighting back with courage, resilience and ingenuity.

NATO Allies will continue to support a free and democratic Ukraine, because Ukraine’s security is our security. Today we discussed the need to further strengthen military support to Ukraine. We are actively engaging within the Alliance, with Ukraine and with our partners in the Indo-Pacific region on these developments, and we continue to monitor the situation closely. Later today, I have scheduled telephone conversations with President Yoon of the Republic of Korea and with Defense Minister Umerov of Ukraine.

Thank you.