A senior White House official says North Korean troops will become “fair targets” if they are deployed in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday that at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers are now being trained in facilities in eastern Russia, possibly to be sent to Ukraine to fight for Russia.
Kirby said, “If they do deploy to fight against Ukraine, they are fair game. They are fair targets.”
He also said, “The possibility that there could be dead and wounded North Korean soldiers fighting against Ukraine is absolutely real if they get deployed.”
Kirby noted, “If North Korean soldiers do enter into combat, this development would demonstrate Russia’s growing desperation in its war against Ukraine.”
He indicated that the United States will consult closely with its allies on how to respond to the move.
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol met his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda in Seoul on Thursday.
Later at a joint news conference, Yoon said that he and Duda denounced the North Korean troop dispatch to Russia. He said the two leaders agreed that the move is a provocation which threatens global security.
Yoon also said that South Korea will take necessary measures step by step in coordination with the international community.
South Korea has not supplied lethal weapons to Ukraine, but the country exports such arms to Poland and other countries that provide Ukraine with armaments.
Yoon revealed that by the end of the year, South Korea aims to sign a deal with Poland to supply South Korean tanks.
Yoon said South Korea has adhered to the principle of not directly providing lethal weapons, but the country will review the policy more flexibly depending on North Korea’s moves.