US warns Russia potentially aiding North Korea's nuclear program in direct threat to Europe, Asia

In an ominous warning on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that North Korea’s military involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine poses a threat beyond the immediate conflict with Kyiv, and it could mean Moscow is aiding Pyongyang in its nuclear development.

"The fact is, the relationship between Russia and North Korea is a two-way street," Blinken said while speaking alongside Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha from NATO’s headquarters in Brussels. "North Korea is helping Russia and its aggression against Ukraine. 

"At the same time, the support that Russia is providing to North Korea, potentially including support for its nuclear and missile programs, poses a threat to civility and security in the Korean peninsula as well," he added.

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Blinken’s comments coincided with the Wednesday announcement from South Korean intelligence that North Korean troops had begun combat operations against Ukrainian forces in Kursk – just weeks after the U.S. warned that some 8,000 North Korean soldiers had been moved to the region where Ukraine opened offensive operations in August.  

Blinken called the development "very significant and very negative" as it "increases the threat to security and stability in Europe, but also in the Asia Pacific region."

The secretary argued North Korea’s direct combat operations against Ukraine indicates that adversarial nations like Russia, North Korea and Iran are increasingly becoming jointly embroiled in malign activity across the globe.

"I think we see increasingly the indivisibility and security between the Euro-Atlantic Theater, the Indo-Pacific, Asia-Pacific theaters, even the Middle East, with the role that Iran plays," Blinken said, noting the U.S. and its NATO allies are "very focused on this."

Ukraine’s foreign minister echoed Blinken’s warnings and argued "the future of Transatlantic and global security is being decided in Ukraine."

Sybiha highlighted Russia’s latest strike against Kyiv overnight on Tuesday, in which a combination of drones and missiles targeted the capital city for the first time since August. Though civilians were forced to seek shelter in the underground train stations, no causalities have been reported. 

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"Russia is using Iranian drones…and North Korean troops to attack Ukraine. It provides assistance to those regions in return," Sybiha said. "This is how this war undermines security in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. This is all linked together. 

"If you want to ensure a long-term peace and stability in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, we must force Russia to end its aggression," he added. 

Blinken’s time as secretary of state – when he navigated one of the tensest geopolitical periods between the West and its chief adversaries since World War II – is drawing to a close as the incoming Trump administration is set to take the reins come January.

Uncertainty has mounted over how President-elect Donald Trump will handle these complex security situations, in particular, whether Trump will continue military aid to Ukraine, and Blinken said the Biden administration will use its remaining time to bolster defensive aid to Kyiv.

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Blinken said the Biden administration will "use every day to continue to do what we have done these last four years, which is strengthen this alliance."

The secretary further pledged to "continue to shore up" aid for Ukraine to ensure it can effectively fight Russian advances over the next year or to position itself to effectively negotiate peace with Moscow.