Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
A statement issued by NATO headquarters in Brussels said that a high-level delegation from the Republic of Korea is scheduled to brief the North Atlantic Council today, Monday, on the deployment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) forces in Russia. Ambassadors of NATO partners in the Indo-Pacific region - including Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea - have been invited to attend. After the meeting, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will deliver a statement on the matter.

This comes hours after a European statement was issued in Brussels, which stated that the European Union is deeply concerned by reports that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is sending forces to participate in Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. This would constitute a serious violation of international law, including the fundamental principles of the UN Charter. It would be a unilateral hostile act by the DPRK with serious consequences for European and global peace and security. This development once again demonstrates how Russia is working to spread instability and escalation in the region and around the world. The EU also strongly condemns the deepening military cooperation and arms transfers between the DPRK and Russia, which grossly violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions. The EU urges the DPRK to stop providing support to Russia’s illegal war efforts. The deepening military cooperation between Russia and the DPRK sends a clear message: despite its stated readiness to negotiate, Russia is not genuinely interested in a just, comprehensive and lasting peace. On the contrary, Russia continues to escalate and desperately seeks any assistance for its war, including from actors that seriously disrupt global peace and security. In addition, with the worrying shift in its position on the denuclearization of the DPRK, as expressed by Foreign Minister Lavrov, Russia is abandoning its key obligations under the NPT, including nuclear non-proliferation, and is violating multiple UN Security Council resolutions adopted with Russia’s support. In doing so, Russia is abdicating its responsibilities as a permanent member of the Security Council and as a member state of the UN. The DPRK cannot and will never have nuclear-weapon state status under the NPT. The DPRK’s continued support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine demonstrates how closely European security is linked to that of the Indo-Pacific region. The EU will coordinate with international partners on this issue, including on responses.