Zelenskyy says North Korean troops poised to join war, cancels UN chief's visit

KYIV, Ukraine — 

North Korean troops are poised to beryllium deployed by Russia connected the battlefield successful Ukraine arsenic aboriginal arsenic this weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Friday.

Western officials person warned that North Korean units joining the combat would stoke the astir three-year warfare and bring geopolitical consequences arsenic acold distant arsenic the Indo-Pacific region.

The anticipation has alarmed leaders and deepened diplomatic tensions.

White House nationalist information spokesperson John Kirby said Friday that the apical nationalist information advisers for the United States, Japan and South Korea met and "expressed sedate concern" astir North Korea's unit deployments for imaginable usage with Russia connected the battlefield against Ukraine.

Kirby said that the nationalist information advisers from the 3 countries "call connected Russia and the DPRK to cease these actions that lone service to grow the information implications of Russia's brutal and amerciable warfare beyond Europe and into the Indo-Pacific."

"It is imaginable that determination are present much than 3,000 troops from North Korea that person been dispatched to Russia for outfitting and for training," Kirby said connected a telephone with reporters.

Kirby said the U.S. authorities did not person steadfast quality assessments connected wherever the troops were going "but we judge it is surely possible" and "perhaps adjacent likely" that immoderate of the North Korean troops would beryllium deployed to the Kursk portion of Russia, wherever Ukraine has held immoderate territory since capturing it successful August. But helium cautioned that helium did not cognize successful what capableness and to what intent the North Korean troops would beryllium deployed.

A elder authoritative successful the Ukrainian statesmanlike bureau told The Associated Press connected Friday that Zelenskyy had canceled a planned sojourn to Kyiv by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The official, who spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that helium was not authorized to talk publically astir the matter, said the sojourn was expected to travel aft this week's acme successful the Russian metropolis of Kazan of the BRICS bloc of processing economies, which Guterres attended.

A photograph of Guterres shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin astatine the acme triggered an outcry successful Ukraine.

Zelenskyy, successful a station connected Telegram, said Ukrainian quality had determined that "the archetypal North Korean subject volition beryllium utilized by Russia successful combat zones" betwixt Sunday and Monday.

He said connected Telegram that the deployment was "an evident escalating determination by Russia." He didn't supply immoderate further details, including wherever the North Korean soldiers whitethorn beryllium sent.

Russia has been conducting a ferocious summertime run on the eastbound beforehand successful Ukraine, gradually compelling Kyiv to surrender ground. But Russia has struggled to propulsion Ukrainian forces retired of its Kursk borderline portion pursuing an incursion astir 3 months ago.

North Korean units were detected connected Wednesday successful Kursk, according to Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, known by its acronym GUR.

The soldiers had undergone respective weeks of grooming astatine bases successful eastbound Russia and had been equipped with apparel for the upcoming winter, GUR said successful a connection precocious Thursday.

It estimated the fig of North Korean soldiers sent by Pyongyang to Russia astatine astir 12,000, including immoderate 500 officers and 3 generals.

GUR provided nary grounds for its claims.

Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said Friday connected the societal level X that quality reports indicated the North Korean soldiers "will astir apt archetypal beryllium deployed successful Kursk."

The deployment of North Korean forces nether a subject pact betwixt Moscow and Pyongyang brings a caller magnitude to the conflict, which is Europe's biggest warfare since World War II and has outgo tens of thousands of lives connected some sides, including galore civilians.

The U.S. said Wednesday that 3,000 North Korean troops person been deployed to Russia and are grooming astatine respective locations, calling the determination precise serious.

Zelenskyy said a week agone that his authorities has quality accusation that 10,000 troops from North Korea are being readied to articulation Russian forces warring against his country. He said that a 3rd federation wading into the hostilities would crook the struggle into a "world war."

North Korea had already been supplying ammunition to Russia nether a defence pact, but putting boots connected the crushed could severely complicate a warfare that has inflamed planetary politics, with astir Western countries supporting Kyiv.

Putin, meanwhile, has looked for enactment among BRICS countries.

He has neither confirmed nor denied that North Korean troops were successful Russia.