The United States will monitor the possible deployment of the DPRK military to help Russia in the war against Ukraine.

Pentagon spokesman Gen. Pat Ryder commented on reports that an alleged North Korean army engineering unit will be deployed to occupied Donetsk.

“That’s certainly something to keep an eye on. I think that if I were North Korean military personnel management, I would be questioning my choices on sending my forces to be cannon fodder in an illegal war against Ukraine. And we’ve seen the kinds of casualties that Russian forces – so – but again, something that we’ll keep an eye on,” said Gen. Pat Ryder.

On June 19, Russia and North Korea signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. It provides for mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the parties.

After the signing of the agreement, the Russian president declared that there was no need to use DPRK soldiers in Ukraine as part of the defense component of the strategic agreement with the DPRK.

“As for the possibility of somehow using each other’s capabilities in this conflict. Well, we are not asking anyone for this, no one has offered it to us, so there is no need,” the Russian president said.

It is worth noting that according to Article 4 of the Russian-North Korean treaty, if one of the countries is invaded and is at war, the other must “immediately use all means” to provide “military and other assistance.”

“In the event that either party is in a state of war as a result of an armed invasion by a single state or several states, the other party shall without delay provide military and other assistance by all means at its disposal in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and the laws of the DPRK and the Russian Federation,” Article 4 of the agreement states.

Article 51 of the UN Charter provides for a member state’s right to take measures of individual or collective self-defense.

Objectives of the agreement

The United States believes that North Korea may ask for technology to improve long-range missiles and nuclear weapons in exchange for Russian military assistance.

For his part, the NATO Secretary General said that the agreement between Russia and the DPRK demonstrates the growing coherence between authoritarian states and emphasizes the importance of democracies speaking with one voice.

In 2023, Russia received large batches of North Korean 122-mm and 152-mm artillery shells from the DPRK, which, despite their low quality, significantly enhanced the capabilities of the occupation army. Russia also received ballistic missiles from the DPRK.