U.S. faces tough decision on North Korea's role in Ukraine
The United States must consider the possibility of taking "direct military action" in response to a potential incursion by North Korean troops into Ukrainian territory, stated Mike Turner, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
Turner, a member of the Republican Party, made his statement following reports of thousands of North Korean soldiers arriving in Russia.
Calls for "direct military action"
The American portal The Hill reported that on Wednesday, the White House announced, according to U.S. estimates, at least 3,000 North Korean military personnel are participating in training at bases in Russia's Far East.
- The Biden-Harris Administration must make clear that North Korean troops entering this conflict are a red line for the United States, emphasized Turner in his statement.
- If North Korean troops were to invade Ukraine’s sovereign territory, the United States needs to seriously consider taking direct military action against the North Korean troops, he added.
The prospect of North Korean military involvement in Russia's war with Ukraine has prompted calls for the United States to lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons by Ukraine.
- I have long challenged the Biden-Harris Administration’s unwise position on restricting Ukraine’s use of U.S. weapons against targets within Russian territory. If North Korean troops attack Ukraine from Russian territory, Ukraine should be permitted to use American weapons to respond, stated Turner.
USA's "red line"
Earlier, Turner warned that the "red line" would be crossed if North Korean troops, reportedly gathering in Russia, were to enter the battlefield in Ukraine.
"If North Korean troops attack Ukraine from Russian territory, Ukraine should be permitted to use American weapons to respond," wrote Turner in a letter to President Biden. "They require an immediate response from the United States and our NATO allies to avoid a widening conflict," he added.
"North Korean troops, either attacking Ukraine from Russian territory or entering into Ukrainian territory, must be a red line for the United States and NATO," argued the intelligence committee chair. "Your administration must make that absolutely clear and unequivocal," demanded Turner.
