The recognition by the Russian and North Korean regimes of the fact of the participation of North Korean military personnel in hostilities against Ukraine on the side of the aggressor state once again confirms Ukraine’s repeated warnings that Putin and Kim Jong Un cannot be taken at their word. In fact, the Russian and North Korean dictators have now recognized something that until recently officials of both regimes categorically denied.

We emphasize once again that the participation of the DPRK in the Russia’s aggression against Ukraine threatens not only the security of Europe, but also of the Indo-Pacific region. Furthermore, such illegal military cooperation is a gross violation of international law, in particular, the UN Charter and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

We call on international partners to join efforts in putting pressure on Moscow and Pyongyang and to take concrete steps to prevent further rapprochement between the Russian and North Korean regimes, which could have catastrophic consequences for stability on the Korean Peninsula and global security.