The first few thousand military personnel from North Korea are already near the border with Ukraine, and Ukrainians will be forced to defend themselves against them, and the world will once again watch, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an address to the nation last night, quoted by Ukrinform, BTA writes.
„North Korea conducted a test of a new ballistic missile. This happened the other day. Record flight time and sufficient altitude. And the world is watching. He watches while the threat grows”, Zelensky said.
He added that North Korea has learned how to produce better artillery thanks to its cooperation with Moscow.
„She also learned to build better rockets – this is already obvious. Now, unfortunately, she will also learn how modern warfare is fought. The first few thousand troops from North Korea are not far from the border of Ukraine. Ukrainians will be forced to defend themselves against them. And the world will be watching again," the Ukrainian head of state also said.
He recalled that Ukraine has repeatedly said that such threats should not be given time to develop. Zelensky called on Russia not to be allowed to seek and find allies. No enemy of the free world should be given time to grow, he pointed out.
„Now we see every point where Russia is concentrating these North Korean soldiers on its territory – all their camps. We could strike pre-emptively if we had the capabilities to strike with long enough range. And it depends on our partners. Instead of giving us much-needed long-range strike capabilities, however, America is watching, Britain is watching, Germany is watching. "Everyone is just waiting for the North Korean armed forces to start targeting Ukrainians," he said.
Zelensky also indicated that the entire logistical chain between the Russian Federation and North Korea, which is fueling Russian aggression, should be blocked. According to him, this depends in particular on the strong nations in Asia, including China.
„Anyone in the world who really wants to prevent the expansion of this Russian war against Ukraine and its spread beyond Europe to other regions of the world – everyone should do more than just watch. We must act. Words about the unacceptability of escalation and expansion of war must be followed by deeds. North Korea's involvement in this war in Europe poses a threat to the entire world. A threat that must be stopped”, the Ukrainian president was categorical.
Ukrinform recalls that the US is in close consultation with its allies and partners regarding the reaction to possible North Korean participation in Russia's war against Ukraine and is considering a full range of options for action.