NATO must help Ukraine win, even with N. Korean troops siding with Russia - Rutte

Under these conditions, the Allies should provide Ukraine with everything necessary to achieve victory in the fight against the Russian invasion, even with the presence of North Korean troops on Russia's side. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said this in Berlin during a joint press conference with Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

As North Korean troops are being deployed in Russia against Ukraine, this marks “a significant escalation”, Rutte said, adding that “it makes us even more focused and determined to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs to fight off the Russians, including the North Koreans."

He recalled that Germany had already sent EUR 28 billion worth military aid to Ukraine, which puts this country in second place in the volume of such aid after the USA.

"We have to continue doing this. We have to make sure that our defense production is ramped up. We have to make sure that Ukraine can prevail, that Putin will not get his way in Ukraine.," Rutte emphasized.

He noted that, given North Korea's actions, NATO is working closely with Indo-Pacific partners to respond to the tensions that such actions cause. In particular, the Alliance is strengthening security ties with the Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

That’s in order “to make sure that we are able to also with this new development, to do everything we can to keep not only the Euro Atlantic, but also the Indo Pacific, safe”.

“We know that Russia is working here together, not only with North Korea, China is providing dual US goods and is helping with sanction circumvention. And of course, we know that Iran is involved in helping Russia with the war effort, so this motivates us to step up to do even more, because you are absolutely right. This is a very serious development and an escalation," the NATO secretary general added.

As reported earlier, within the framework of the meeting of NATO defense ministers on October 17-18, a joint meeting was held for the first time with the participation of the military leaders of South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. During the meeting, Allied ministers and those from the Indo-Pacific region reaffirmed their joint commitment to maintaining global security and stability, and also noted that they are facing common challenges in the field of security.