Rising tension: North Korean troops in Russia spark alarms
Mike Turner, chairman of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, warned on Friday that a "red line" will be crossed if North Korean troops, who are reportedly gathering in Russia, enter the battlefield in Ukraine.
"These [North Korean] troops movements, if true, are alarming and are an extreme escalation of the conflict in Ukraine," Turner wrote in a letter to President Biden. "They require an immediate response from the United States and our NATO allies to avoid a widening conflict," he added.
"Red line" for the U.S. and NATO
"North Korean troops, either attacking Ukraine from Russian territory or entering into Ukrainian territory, must be a red line for the United States and NATO," argued the intelligence committee chief. "Your administration must make that absolutely clear and unequivocal," Turner demanded.
According to South Korea's National Intelligence Service, North Korea has sent 1,500 special forces soldiers to the Russian Far East for training, with the intent of sending them into combat—with Russian weapons, uniforms, and fake identification documents.
"I call for an immediate classified briefing"
Turner revealed in his letter that the Biden-Harris administration has not informed lawmakers about the potential massive escalation of the conflict. "The administration has not briefed the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence or the House Armed Services Committee of any assessments by U.S. intelligence agencies or the Department of Defense regarding these troop movements," wrote the Republican from Ohio.
"Due to the urgency of this matter, I call for an immediate classified briefing," Turner demanded.
Since August 2022, North Korea has supplied over 8 million artillery and rocket shells to Russia. The deployment of special forces soldiers would mark North Korea's first significant military involvement since the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.
