Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The European Commission in Brussels said that Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Union's Executive Body, will receive Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary-General, today. This is the first meeting between the two parties since Rutte was chosen as NATO Secretary-General, who was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. The two sides are expected to discuss at the Commission's headquarters in Brussels, moving forward on the path of enhancing cooperation and joint work between the two institutions and issues of common interest, most notably the file of developments in the situation in Ukraine and ways to provide support to the Ukrainian side in the face of Russian attacks.
This meeting comes hours after statements made by the NATO Secretary-General following a meeting of the NATO Council at its headquarters in Brussels on Monday in the presence of a delegation from South Korea to inform the NATO countries of more information about North Korea sending forces to Russia to participate in the war on Ukraine. A statement issued by the NATO headquarters in Brussels quoted Rutte's statements, which included: “A delegation from the Republic of Korea, a close NATO ally, briefed the North Atlantic Council and our other Indo-Pacific partners – Australia, Japan, and New Zealand – on North Korea’s growing involvement in Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. The delegation included senior representatives from the Republic of Korea’s National Intelligence Service and Ministry of National Defense. Allies also shared their intelligence assessments. I can confirm that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia, and that North Korean military units have been deployed to the Kursk region. The deployment of North Korean troops represents: first, a significant escalation in the DPRK’s ongoing involvement in Russia’s illegal war; second, another violation of UN Security Council resolutions; and third, a dangerous expansion of Russia’s war.
NATO calls on Russia and the DPRK to cease these actions immediately.
The growing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the security of the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic region. The deployment of North Korean troops to Kursk is also a sign of Putin’s growing desperation. More than 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in Putin’s war, and he is unable to continue his assault on Ukraine without foreign support. That is because Ukrainians are fighting with courage, resilience, and creativity. NATO Allies will continue to support a free and democratic Ukraine, because Ukraine’s security is our security. Today, we discussed the need to strengthen military support for Ukraine. We are consulting actively within the Alliance, with Ukraine, and with our partners in the Indo-Pacific region on these developments, and we continue to monitor the situation closely. Later, I scheduled phone calls with President Yoon of the Republic of Korea and with Ukrainian Defense Minister Umarov.