NATO Chief Mark Rutte Calls for Stronger Action as Thousands of North Korean Troops Arrive in Russia’s Kursk Region

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has stressed the urgent need for stronger action to alter the trajectory of the Russia’s war against Ukraine, citing the recent deployment of thousands of North Korean troops in Russia’s Kursk region.

According to Politico, Rutte warned that the presence of North Korean forces on European soil marks a deeply troubling escalation, posing the question of whether Europe and the world are now confronting a threat “far darker than the devastation already inflicted on the people of Ukraine.”

Rutte noted that NATO member states have collectively contributed more than 99% of the military aid provided to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, and are on track to fulfill a commitment of €40 billion in military assistance to Ukraine this year.

However, he argued that NATO’s support must go beyond sustaining Ukraine’s resistance; he called for measures that would decisively influence the war’s direction and increase the cost of the war for Russia and its allies among authoritarian regimes.

“We now need political commitments to continue this course for the long term. So far, our support has helped Ukraine to keep up its fight, but we need to do much more to shift the conflict’s trajectory. We must raise the price for Putin and his allies,” Rutte stated.

Rutte further emphasized the importance of strengthening NATO’s ties with partners in the Indo-Pacific region, noting that the security threat posed by North Korea’s presence in Russia extends beyond Europe to affect global stability.

“The cost of supporting Ukraine represents only a fraction of our annual defense budgets. It is a small price for peace. The question is, can we afford not to pay it?” he asked.

Meanwhile, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that enemy losses in the Kursk region have reached approximately 21,000 personnel. Ukrainian intelligence sources previously indicated that the first skirmishes between Ukrainian forces and North Korean troops have already occurred in Russia’s Kursk region.