The USA warns of increasing military support from North Korea for the war against Russia

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The United States and its allies are “alarmed” by North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, as well as North Korea’s increasing military support for Russia's war in Ukraine, A senior US official said this on Wednesday, but could not confirm Ukrainian claims that North Korean soldiers were sent to fight for Moscow.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell spoke to reporters following discussions with South Korean and Japanese counterparts about reviving an international pressure campaign against North Korea that has stalled in recent years due to a widening division in the U.N. Security Council.

On Wednesday, Washington, Seoul and Tokyo announced plans to join eight Western governments in forming a new multinational team to monitor enforcement of sanctions against North Korea.

Russia in March vetoed a UN resolution This effectively eliminated monitoring of Security Council sanctions against North Korea by UN experts. This sparked Western accusations that Moscow wanted to shield its arms purchases from Pyongyang to fuel its war in Ukraine.

Campbell said there are signs that North Korea is increasing its materiel support, including artillery and missiles, for Russia's war against Ukraine, which he said is “leading to further instability in Europe.” He said the United States was still evaluating reports that North Korea was also sending personnel.

“We are concerned about them and … we have agreed that we will continue to monitor the situation closely,” Campbell said of the claims.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said North Korea was sending military personnel to support Russia's war effort, without giving details. Ukrainian media reported earlier this month that six North Koreans were among the victims of a Ukrainian missile attack in the partially occupied eastern Donetsk region on October 3.

North Korea has also made increasingly provocative threats against rival South Korea, including accusing the South of infiltrating drones to drop anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang threatens to attack if it happens again.

North Korea on Tuesday blew up the northern sections of unused road and rail lines that once linked it to South Korea, in a choreographed demolition that demonstrated its growing anger at South Korea's conservative government.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have increased since 2022, when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un used Russia's war against Ukraine as a window to step up his weapons testing activities and threats. In response, Washington, Seoul and Tokyo have increased their joint military exercises and taken steps to strengthen their nuclear deterrence strategies based on US strategic assets.

After his talks with Campbell and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano, South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong Kyun said the countries condemned the North's “deliberate steps to create tensions.”

“We agreed to maintain a solid common stance between South Korea and the US to respond decisively to North Korean provocations and strengthen security cooperation through close coordination between South Korea, the US and Japan,” Kim said.

The diplomats issued a joint statement condemning North Korea over its nuclear and missile development, deepening military cooperation with Russia and various illegal activities to finance its weapons program, highlighting the United States' “ironclad” commitment to defending its allies.

The statement also reflected growing regional tensions with China.

The diplomats expressed opposition to “any unilateral attempts to change the status quo” in Indo-Pacific waters and “unlawful maritime claims” in the South China Sea. They also criticized China's recent exercises around Taiwan and stressed that “no further actions should be taken that could endanger peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”