U.S. and South Korean defense chiefs urge North Korea to pull its troops from Russia, while Russia’s UN envoy asserts that its military interactions with North Korea comply with international law. Vasily Nebenzya, Russia’s representative to the UN, dismissed claims of North Korean troops being deployed at the front lines in Ukraine as “barefaced lies.”
During a UN Security Council meeting, Nebenzya stated that Russia’s military collaboration with North Korea is legal and not intended against other nations. This statement coincided with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s call for North Korea to withdraw its estimated 10,000 troops in Russia, which Washington claims could be used against Ukrainian forces. Austin emphasized ongoing efforts with allies to prevent Russia from deploying these troops in combat, though he expressed concern that Moscow may proceed with such plans.
