During a meeting of the Ramstein Contact Group on Ukraine’s Defence on 9 January, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy drew attention to Russia’s cooperation with North Korea, which he said was a sign of Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s weakness.
“Putin is not only continuing his investment in aggression, he is doubling it. He has even started hiring soldiers from North Korea to keep this war going. North Korea does not value its people and is learning modern warfare. As of now, their army has already lost 4,000 soldiers in this war,” the President stressed.
Zelenskyy noted that such cooperation provides the DPRK with cheap military experience that can be used for future conflicts in other regions, including the Indo-Pacific.
The President believes that the Kremlin’s appeal to Pyongyang is an unprecedented sign of Moscow’s problems.
“No ruler in Moscow would ever stoop to begging in Pyongyang unless he faces critical problems,” Zelenskyy said.
The President stressed the importance of further pressure on Russia. He called on international partners, in particular the US and the EU, to strengthen sanctions against Moscow, especially in the energy sector.
“Sanctions are what provide our soldiers with the necessary weapons. We have to turn up the heat on Russia’s energy sector to deprive the Kremlin of the ability to finance this war,” he added.
Ukraine continues to work with its allies to deter the aggressor and protect global stability. The increasingly evident cooperation between Russia and the DPRK only confirms the need for international unity in countering this threat.
