Zelenskyy says Ukraine will be forced to fight against North Korea as he calls on allies to increase pressure on Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine will be forced to fight against North Korean troops should they enter the conflict.

In an evening address posted on Telegram, Zelenskyy said North Korean forces could appear on the battlefield “any day now.”

“Ukraine will be forced to actually fight against North Korea in Europe,” he said, adding: “These are the conditions when the lack of partners’ stronger decisions in support of Ukraine only encourages Putin to invest further in terror.”

Zelenskyy also called on Western allies to ramp up pressure on Russia, saying he expected more support.

Earlier this week, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian intelligence expected North Korean troops to be deployed to combat zones as soon as October 27 or 28, labeling it “a clear escalation by Russia.”

It follows intelligence reports from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) last week that said the North was preparing to send thousands of troops to Russia to support Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces.

The US and NATO both later confirmed that they had evidence of North Korean troops in Russia.

White House spokesperson John Kirby said this week that the US believed North Korea had shipped at least 3,000 soldiers to eastern Russia, where they were undergoing training.

“If North Korean soldiers do enter into combat, this development would demonstrate Russia’s growing desperation in its war against Ukraine,” Kirby said.

On Monday, a South Korean delegation is set to brief NATO on the situation, with Mark Rutte, the Secretary General of the alliance, due to give a statement to media following the meeting.