US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said "the likelihood is pretty high" that the Kremlin will deploy the North Korean troops in combat.
wearing Russian uniforms and carrying Russian equipment are moving toward Ukraine, in what he called a dangerous and destabilising development.
Some North Korean advance units have already arrived in the Kursk region, and Austin said "the likelihood is pretty high" that Russia will use the troops in combat. Asked if it could prompt other nations to get more directly involved in the conflict, he acknowledged that it could "encourage others to take action" but provided no details.
There is a "high possibility" that Pyongyang would ask for higher technologies in exchange for its troops, such as receiving tactical nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, he said through an interpreter.Russia has had to shift some resources to the Kursk border region to respond to Ukraine's offensive.
Already, he noted, Russia has sought military weapons from other nations. Those include North Korea and Iran.
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