Pentagon threatens no new limits on Ukraine weapons if North Korea joins Russia’s war

The Pentagon is warning there will be no new limits on Ukraine’s use of American weapons if North Korean soldiers amassing in Russia join the military conflict. 

The declaration comes after the Department of Defense announced in mid-October that it would provide Ukraine with another $425 million worth of supplies and weapons to defend itself from Russian troops, including missiles and artillery ammunition. 

Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh was asked by a reporter this week that if “U.S. weapons are used to kill North Korean soldiers … that could have far-reaching implications … will you have limits on what U.S. weapons can be used if it’s a bunch of North Korean soldiers?” 

“No,” she responded. “If North Korea – if we see DPRK troops moving in and towards the front lines, I mean, they are co-belligerents in the war. And so, they are fighting on these front lines and the Ukrainians are defending their sovereign territory and pushing the Russians back.” 

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“That is a calculation that, you know, DPRK leadership is making to send their soldiers into combat,” Singh continued. “But they would – if they are in combat, you know, they’re fighting the Ukrainians, who are fighting for their sovereign territory. And we’ve made a commitment to Ukraine that we’re going to continue to support them with whatever it takes.” 

The Pentagon currently estimates that around 10,000 North Korean soldiers have entered Russia. 

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North Korean soldiers participate in a demonstration of the Korean People’s Army’s air and amphibious combat units, in this picture released on March 16 by the Korean Central News Agency.  (Reuters/KCNA)

“A portion of those soldiers have already moved closer to Ukraine towards Russia’s Kursk Oblast, near the border with Ukraine. Approximately a couple thousand, with a smaller number already present in the Kursk region,” Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Tuesday. “We remain concerned that Russia intends to use these soldiers in combat or to support combat operations against Ukrainian forces in Kursk. We continue to monitor closely and are consulting with our Ukrainian partners, as well as other allies and partners.” 

Ryder said the North Korean troop movements are “an indication of the dire situation that Russia finds itself in, in terms of manpower on the front lines.” 

North Korean soldiers march in a parade in Pyongyang in September 2018. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

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“They have experienced significant casualties in this war and the fact that they now need to outsource for foreign troops, to help support their forces inside Russia indicates that that there’s some serious questions in terms of their ability to continue to sustain their personnel requirements,” he also said.