Ukraine should strike North Korean troops if they cross border, Biden says

Ukraine should strike North Korean military forces if they cross into Ukrainian territory, President Joe Biden has stated, according to Reuters.

The U.S. leader emphasized that the presence of North Korean troops in Russia is a concern. When asked if Ukrainian forces should strike them, Biden responded, "If they [North Korean military] cross into Ukraine, yes."

Earlier, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder confirmed that a relatively small number of North Korean military personnel are already in Russia's Kursk Oblast, with several thousand more moving closer to Ukraine.

Previously, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh reported that Ukrainian forces could use U.S.-provided weapons against North Korean soldiers if they enter the war on Russia's side.

On October 29, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he had a phone conversation with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. The Ukrainian leader provided the South Korean president with fresh data on the deployment of 3,000 North Korean military personnel to Russian training grounds "in close proximity to the combat zone." It is expected that their number will increase to 12,000.

The Spanish newspaper El País, citing an anonymous Ukrainian border guard, reported that Ukrainian military forces could strike North Korean soldiers who have been moved by Russia to the combat zone in Kursk Oblast.