House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said Friday that North Korean troops, believed to be gathering in Russia, would cross a “red line” if they entered the battlefield in Ukraine. He argued that it would be.
“These military movements, if true, are alarming and an extreme escalation of the conflict in Ukraine,” Turner said in a letter to President Biden. “Immediate action by the United States and our NATO allies is needed to avoid escalation of conflict.”
“Whether North Korean forces attack Ukraine from Russian territory or invade Ukrainian territory must be a red line for the United States and NATO,” the House intelligence chief asserted.
Mr Turner demanded: “The Government must make that absolutely clear and unambiguous.”
North Korea has sent 1,500 special forces to Russia's Far East for training, with the aim of forcing soldiers to fight for President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine using Russian-made weapons, military uniforms and fake identity documents. The South Korean National Intelligence Service announced on Friday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also said North Korea was preparing to call in an additional 10,000 soldiers to replace Putin's invading forces, which have suffered nearly 1 million casualties in the two-and-a-half year war. I accused him of being there.
In his letter, Turner said the Harris-Biden administration has not briefed lawmakers on the potential for a major escalation of the conflict.
“The administration has not informed the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence or the House Armed Services Committee of any assessment by the U.S. intelligence community or the Department of Defense regarding these troop movements,” the Ohio Republican wrote. .
“Due to the urgency of this matter, I request an immediate confidential conference,” Turner said.
Since August 2022, North Korea has supplied Russia with more than 8 million artillery and missile shells.
The deployment of special forces would mark North Korea's first significant military involvement since the 1950-1953 Korean War.
The newspaper has contacted the White House for comment.
