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Russia has expressed its "surprise" that Turkey continues to supply Ukraine with weapons while trying to play the role of mediator in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Hurriyet newspaper. "Turkish weapons are being used by Ukraine's armed forces to kill Russian military personnel and civilians," Lavrov said in an interview published Friday. He added that "this situation cannot but cause surprise, given the declarations of the Turkish government that it is ready to offer mediation services."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized what he called "zero" response from his allies to Russia's deployment of North Korean troops to the war in Ukraine. Zelensky said on Thursday that a weak response would encourage President Vladimir Putin to beef up the troop contingent. In an interview with South Korea's KBS TV channel, Zelensky said he believed Moscow was trying to agree to send engineering troops and a "large number of civilians" from North Korea to work at Russian military plants.
"Putin is controlling the reaction of the West... And I believe that after all these reactions, Putin will decide and increase the contingent. The reaction that is today is nothing, it is zero," Zelensky said. He had publicly warned of North Korea's involvement in the war as early as October 13. Although Western allies have described this as a major escalation, they have so far not taken retaliatory measures or given any signals that they are preparing any action.
South Korea has provided intelligence assistance and broader cooperation on the issue and is considering sending a team of military observers to Ukraine, according to South Korean officials.
Ukraine's delegation, in a speech to the UN Security Council on Wednesday, named three North Korean generals accompanying thousands of Korean People's Army troops deployed to Russia in aid of Moscow's war in Ukraine. Russia has not denied the involvement of North Korean troops in the war, while North Korea initially denied involvement but has since defended the idea of deploying troops as consistent with international law.
The US deputy ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, informed the Security Council on Thursday that the US had received information indicating that "for now" there are 8,000 North Korean troops in Russia's southern Kursk region, which borders northeastern Ukraine.
Zelensky also expressed "surprise" at the "silence" of China, the world's second largest economy, regarding the deployment of North Korean troops. He said Ukraine had "clear information" that Russia had confirmed North Korean involvement in the war through Western intelligence channels. "The Russian Federation discussed this issue with the West and confirmed that yes, there are military personnel from North Korea who will fight against Ukraine," he added.
Zelensky's blunt rhetoric expresses his frustration with Western support for Ukraine at this critical juncture in the conflict with Russia, especially as the US presidential election looms. Russian troops have been slowly advancing for months in eastern Ukraine, and Ukrainian forces have struggled to contain those advances.
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