KYIV – Ukraine is urging tougher international sanctions on Russia and North Korea following Pyongyang’s public admission that its military is involved in the war against Ukraine – a disclosure that Kyiv says exposes a dangerous new level of cooperation between two authoritarian regimes.
“International partners have more tools at their disposal to pressure these regimes and limit their access, particularly to Western technologies,” Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
North Korea’s admission is “very telling,” the ministry added, noting that Moscow and Pyongyang had previously denied any military cooperation related to the war.
“This once again highlights that neither Putin’s nor Kim Jong Un’s regime can be trusted. Their words mean nothing,” said Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi.
Meanwhile, Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin has previously confirmed the participation of North Korean forces on Russia’s side and expressed his “gratitude” to them.
The ministry also warned that any deepening military ties between Russia and North Korea pose a broader risk – not just to Ukraine but also to European security, as well as stability in the Indo-Pacific region and on the Korean Peninsula.
“When Russia first began using [North Korean] ballistic missiles over a year ago, they were highly inaccurate. Now, they’ve become much more precise. That’s because they’re testing them in Ukraine and making them more effective,” Tykhyi said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un confirmed on April 28 that his troops had been deployed to Russia to take part in the war against Ukraine, citing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty between North Korea and Russia.
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