Tensions Surge as North Korean Troops Confirmed in Russia

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has confirmed the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia, marking a significant escalation in military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. The move poses threats to regional security and highlights Russian President Putin's reliance on foreign support in the Ukraine conflict.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed on Monday the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia, specifically to the Kursk region. This development represents a deepening of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, perceived as a threat to both Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security.

Rutte labeled this deployment as a significant escalation of North Korea's involvement in what he described as Russia's illegal war in Ukraine, a situation violating U.N. Security Council resolutions. According to Rutte, the deployment signals Russian President Vladimir Putin's growing desperation as his forces sustain heavy casualties.

Shedding doubt on the Kremlin's initial dismissal of such troop movements as "fake news," Putin later refrained from denying the presence of North Korean troops, stressing that Moscow's partnership with Pyongyang is an internal matter. Meanwhile, a North Korean representative to the U.N. in New York dismissed these reports as "groundless rumours."

(With inputs from agencies.)