North Korean troops in Ukraine would be escalation, France warns

KYIV, UKRAINE — 

The engagement of North Korean regular troops to enactment Russia's penetration of Ukraine would beryllium a superior escalation of the war, France and Ukraine's overseas ministers said astatine a associated property league successful Kyiv connected Saturday.

France's Jean-Noel Barrot, who was making his archetypal travel to Ukraine since becoming overseas curate successful September, is besides acceptable to sojourn the eastbound of the country, wherever France volition concern caller 2 caller centers for the extortion of children affected by the war, connected Sunday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused North Korea connected Thursday of deploying officers alongside Russia and of preparing to nonstop 10,000 soldiers to assistance Moscow's warfare effort, though NATO main Mark Rutte said determination was nary grounds of Pyongyang's beingness astatine this stage.

"It would beryllium superior and propulsion the struggle into a caller stage, an further escalatory stage," Barrot said successful Kyiv, adding that specified a determination would awesome that Moscow was struggling successful the war.

His Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, said the hazard of escalation from the determination was "huge."

"This is simply a immense menace of further escalation of Russian aggression against Ukraine. There is simply a large hazard of it increasing retired of its existent standard and borders," helium said.

Earlier this week, Zelenskyy presented his triumph plan, which helium said would alteration Ukraine to extremity the warfare nary aboriginal than adjacent year. The archetypal measurement of this program was unconditional NATO rank for Ukraine.

France's overseas curate said that Paris was unfastened to the thought of an contiguous invitation for Ukraine to articulation NATO, but that talks would proceed connected the taxable with allies.

"Regarding the invitation for Ukraine to articulation NATO, we are unfastened to it and it's a treatment that we are having with our partners," Barrot said.