Ukraine recently stated that they have made their first engagement with North Korean troops near the Russian border. This war has escalated significantly since Russia’s initial invasion in 2022 and things just seem to get worse. Over the past couple of weeks, it was noted that North Korea has deployed soldiers to Russia and that they may join the war. With tensions rising between countries all over the war, it’s only a matter of time before things get out of hand.
With President Trump winning the United States election, many people speculate that he’ll stop supporting the war, while others have said that Trump plans to help Ukraine. The United States has been a huge help to Ukraine in the war, giving approximately 56.3 billion dollars in military aid. (U.S Department of Defense) Trump has stated many times how he could end the war in a day and has shown praise for Russia’s leader Putin, while also stating how Ukraine should have never gone to war with Russia. Now, Trump may not stop supporting the war but may put pressure on Ukraine to enter a truce with Russia.
Now with the help of North Korea, Russia’s chances may have increased while also closing out any hope for the Ukrainian forces. This comes at a time when Ukraine is at a difficult point in the war, where the Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief would state that their condition on the front lines “remains difficult” and that some areas of the war “require constant renewal of resources of Ukrainian units.”(CNN)
South Korea and The United States have both been talking about North Korea’s sudden involvement in the war and what it could lead to. The United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin would say “Make no mistake, if these North Korean troops engage in combat or combat support operations against Ukraine, they would make themselves legitimate military targets.”(U.S Department of Defense) Now with confirmation of Ukraine’s first encounter with North Korean troops, it’s only a matter of time before The US and South Korea start strategizing.
It’s also important to note that North Korea has been testing missiles and other weapons recently. Seoul reported that they tested short-range ballistic missiles days before the US election, firing toward their eastern sea. It seems North Korea wants to intimidate its opponents while also showing the world that they aren’t scared of conflict.
North Korea joining the war and their involvement only means things are only going to get worse moving forward. Already with a high amount of casualties, the most we have seen in that part of Europe since World War ll, more civilians and soldiers will be put at risk and the number of casualties could skyrocket. The United States also has Donald Trump taking over as the president again and the Israel-Hezbollah war worsening things only seem to be going downhill. Things are going to escalate in this war, and it’s only a matter of time before they do.
