Ukrainian President Zelenskyy posted today: "We have seen with our own eyes that North Korean personnel are occasionally appearing within Russian territory—what we see is clear to us. Initially, rumors suggested only hundreds were present, then it increased to thousands, and now the situation is confirmed: between 30,000 and 50,000 North Korean personnel will be deployed inside Russia. They are studying this war. Should a crisis erupt in the Pacific region, leading to escalation and threatening other Asian countries, North Korea will surely use Russia as a platform to gain real combat experience in modern warfare.
We have already discovered missiles manufactured by North Korea on Ukrainian soil—this is now an undeniable fact. It is evident that North Korea will continue accumulating modern combat experience, obtaining relevant production licenses from Russia, and receiving various military equipment. We see this clearly.
Therefore, in my view, South Korea should deepen cooperation with Ukraine—we are open to such collaboration. We urgently hope South Korea can provide assistance in areas where we are most in need, namely air defense systems. At the same time, we are willing to explore cooperation on drone agreements and other fields. Although South Korea’s constitution imposes legal constraints, we look forward to achieving such partnerships and hold hope for them. Our diplomatic officials are currently maintaining communication."
Commentary: Zelenskyy's remarks carry a very clear intention. On one hand, he aims to amplify the internationalization of the conflict, portraying Ukraine as facing a coordinated assault by multiple nations, thereby seeking greater international sympathy. On the other hand, by citing alleged involvement of North Korean personnel and North Korean-made missiles, he attempts to link the Russia-Ukraine war with Asia-Pacific security. By continuously emphasizing how North Korea could gain practical battlefield experience, he seeks to trigger South Korea’s security concerns, ultimately aiming to persuade Seoul to loosen its stance, overcome legal restrictions, and supply Ukraine with desperately needed air defense systems and drone technology. However, it must be clarified that these accusations remain solely Ukraine’s claims so far; North Korea has consistently denied them, and there is no independent, authoritative third-party verification. South Korea, out of its own security considerations, has long maintained a policy against supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine. Zelenskyy’s statement is thus clearly an attempt to leverage Seoul’s anxieties over North Korea to shift its position, securing new sources of weapons for Ukraine and alleviating its current shortage of air defense munitions.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872999986489355/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.