North Korea’s involvement in the Ukrainian conflict "requires a firm response," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Brussels on Wednesday during a visit to NATO.
"North Korean forces engaged in battle, now literally fighting: this new element requires a firm response, and it will receive one," Blinken stated alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The United States confirmed on Tuesday that North Korean troops were involved in combat operations in Russia’s Kursk region, a small part of which is occupied by Ukrainian forces.
More broadly, Blinken expressed concerns about the conflict in Ukraine becoming more global, calling for "even closer cooperation among us all."
"One of the things NATO has done in recent years is strengthen its ties with its Indo-Pacific partners, and we will do even more in the weeks and months to come," he assured.
President Joe Biden’s administration will be replaced on 20 January by that of President-elect Donald Trump. Many Europeans fear that this change in the White House could lead to the reduction or withdrawal of US support for NATO and the end of US military support for Ukraine.
