EU urges North Korea to stop providing any support to Russia’s illegal war efforts

The European Union is deeply alarmed by reports that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Is sending its troops to participate in Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, EU High Representative Josep Borrell said in a statement yesterday. 

He called this “a serious breach of international law” and “a unilateral hostile act” by the DPRK that will have serious consequences for European and global peace and security. 

Borrell strongly condemned on behalf of the European Union the deepening military cooperation and arms transfers between the DPRK and Russia, and urged North Korea to stop providing support to Russia’s illegal war efforts.

“Russia’s deepening military cooperation with the DPRK sends a clear message: despite its stated readiness to negotiate, Russia is not sincerely interested in a just, comprehensive and lasting peace,” Borrell said. “On the contrary, Russia is escalating and desperately seeking any help for its war, including from actors that are severely disrupting global peace and security.”

Borrell also drew attention to the fact that Russia has changed its position on the denuclearisation of the DPRK, as recently announced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. By doing so, Moscow, according to Borrell, is abandoning its key obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), including preventing nuclear proliferation, and is violating numerous UN Security Council resolutions passed with Russia’s support.  

“By doing so, Russia compromises its responsibilities as a permanent member of the Security Council and as a UN member state. The DPRK cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear weapon State in accordance with the NPT,” Borrell said.

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