Zelenskyy says Ukraine will be forced to fight North Korea as he calls on allies to increase pressure on Russia

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine will be forced to fight the North Korean forces.

• Zelensky made the comments during an evening address posted on Telegram.

• Ukraine has warned that North Korean troops may be on the battlefield from Sunday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine will be forced to fight with North Korean forces if it enters the war.

In an evening speech posted on Telegram, Zelenskyy said North Korean troops could appear on the battlefield “any day now.”

“Ukraine will be forced to actually fight North Korea in Europe,” he said, adding: “These are the situations where the lack of strong decisions by allies in supporting Ukraine only encourages Putin to invest more in terror.”

Zelenskyy also called on Western allies to increase pressure on Russia, saying he expects more support.

Earlier this week, Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian intelligence agencies expected North Korean troops to be sent to attack the sites as soon as October 27 or 28, calling it a “clear escalation by Russia.”

Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Agency said on Sunday that Russia had begun transporting North Korean troops to the battlefield.

This follows reports from South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) last week that the North is preparing to send thousands of soldiers to Russia to support the forces of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The US and NATO both later confirmed that they had evidence of North Korean troops in Russia.

White House spokesman John Kirby said this week the US believes North Korea has sent at least 3,000 troops to eastern Russia, where they are training.

“If the North Korean military enters the war, this development could indicate Russia's growing desperation in its war with Ukraine,” Kirby said.

On Monday, the South Korean delegation will inform NATO about the situation, and Mark Rutte, Secretary General of the Alliance, due to give a statement to the press after the meeting.

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