EU ‘deeply alarmed’ by reports N Korea sending troops to help Russia against Ukraine
The European Union is deeply alarmed by reports that North Korea is sending troops to participate in Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on October 24.
“This would constitute a serious breach of international law, including the most fundamental principles of the UN Charter,” Borrell said.
“It would be a unilateral hostile act by the DPRK with serious consequences for European and global peace and security,” he said, referring to the abbreviation for Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, that country’s name for itself.
“This development also illustrates once again how Russia is spreading instability and escalation in the region and across the globe,” Borrell said.
The EU strongly condemns the deepening military cooperation and arms transfers between the North Korea and Russia, which flagrantly violate multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, the statement said, adding that the EU urges North Korea to stop providing support to Russia’s illegal war efforts.
“Russia’s deepening military cooperation with the DPRK sends a clear message: despite its stated readiness to negotiate, Russia is not sincerely interested in a just, comprehensive and lasting peace,” Borrell said.
“On the contrary, Russia is escalating and desperately seeking any help for its war, including from actors that are severely disrupting global peace and security.”
In addition, with its disturbing shift of position on the denuclearisation of North Korea, as expressed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Russia relinquishes its key obligations from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) including to prevent nuclear proliferation and violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions adopted with Russia’s support, Borrell said.
By doing so, Russia compromises its responsibilities as a permanent member of the Security Council and as a UN member state, he said.
“The DPRK cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear weapon State in accordance with the NPT.”
North Koreai’s ongoing support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine illustrates how closely linked European security is to that of the Indo-Pacific, the statement said.
The EU will coordinate with international partners on the matter, including on responses, Borrell said.
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