US confirms North Korean troops in Russia
The U.S. defense secretary has confirmed that North Korean troops are in Russia, marking the first time a senior U.S. official has publicly acknowledged this development.
"There are DPRK troops, you know, in Russia," said Secretary Lloyd Austin of the Defense Department.
Austin emphasized the gravity of the situation.
"That is a very, very serious issue and it will have impacts not only in Europe, it will also impact things in the Indo-Pacific, as well," he said.
The White House has confirmed that North Korea moved at least 3,000 soldiers to eastern Russia from early to mid-October for training.
However, it remains unclear if these troops will enter combat.
"If Russia is indeed forced to turn to North Korea for manpower, this would be a sign of weakness, not strength, on the part of the Kremlin," said John Kirby, White House National Security Council spokesperson.
North Korea has already been supplying weapons to Russia.
The White House is concerned about the broader implications of this latest move.
"What does Kim Jong Un think he's getting out of this? You talked about information sharing, maybe that's part of it, maybe its technology maybe it's capabilities," Kirby added.
Experts are also weighing in on the potential consequences.
"It's really what Russia might be able to do for their ballistic missile program, and potentially even for the nuclear program," said Alexander Downes, of George Washington University.
Both North Korea and Russia have denied the movement of troops.
However, the White House has stated it will continue to provide security assistance to Ukraine and is in discussions with allies about the next steps.