ThE nation’s Kim Yo-jong, sister of leader Kim Jong-un denied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s claim that Pyongyang plans to send up to 50,000 more troops to Russia to fight for its ally.
Yo-jong said in a statement that Zelenskyy’s estimate was “groundless” and “a self-staged incident”. Zelenskyy made his claim in a post on X, and he called on South Korea to provide support for his country’s defences.
Yo-jong said responsibility for the outbreak and for the prolongation of the Ukraine crisis lay entirely with the US and the West.
North Korea sent an estimated 14,000 soldiers to Russia’s Kursk Region in 2024, under a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty agreed during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s June 2024 visit to Pyongyang.
Pyongyang has also supplied Russia with millions of artillery and mortar rounds, ballistic missiles, long-range artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems, according to Ukrainian and independent assessments.
Yo-jong also said the US’ “hostile policy” towards North Korea hasn’t changed despite President Donald Trump’s order to substantially reduce US participation in joint military drills with South Korea. — Reuters
