UK must 'confront' deployment of North Korean troops alongside Russia in Ukraine, LBC told
by EJ Ward · LBCThe UK must "confront" the deployment of North Korean troops alongside Russia in Ukraine
By EJ Ward
The UK must "confront" the deployment of North Korean troops alongside Russia in Ukraine, the shadow defence secretary has told LBC.
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Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge urged the UK to address the growing strategic implications of North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces, describing it as a "massive issue for the West."
Speaking to Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC, Mr Cartlidge also highlighted the significance of US President Joe Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike inside Russian territory.
"I do welcome this decision, I think it's the right one," he said. "We all have to understand, despite whatever nerves some may have, that strategically, the point that thousands of North Korean troops have come to fight alongside Russia is a massive strategic issue for the West, and one we have to confront."
Read more: Biden to 'allow Ukraine to use American long-range missiles inside Russia for first time'
President Biden's move, which comes after months of lobbying by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, could pave the way for the UK to follow suit. The UK has been reluctant to grant similar permissions for the Storm Shadow missiles it supplies to Ukraine, partly due to their reliance on American navigation data.
However, the US shift may lead to a change in policy.
The initial strikes are expected in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have launched an incursion, and Vladimir Putin has reinforced his defences with North Korean troops. Mr Zelensky has long argued that being unable to strike Russian bases used to launch attacks on Ukraine effectively forces him to "fight with his hands tied."
In response to the reports of Biden's decision, Mr Zelensky said: "There's been much said in the media today that we have received approval to take relative actions. But strikes are not carried out with words. These things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves."
The decision comes amid heightened concerns over Russia's increasing reliance on North Korean support and the looming possibility of a shift in US policy under a potential Donald Trump administration. Mr Trump has previously claimed he could end the war "in a day."
The Prime Minister told reporters travelling with him to Rio de Janeiro: "We are coming up to the 1,000th day of this conflict on Tuesday.
"That's 1,000 days of Russian aggression, 1,000 days of huge impact and sacrifice in relation to the Ukrainian people, and recently we've seen the addition of North Korean troops working with Russians which does have serious implications.
"I think on one hand it shows the desperation of Russia, but it's got serious implications for European security ... and for Indo-Pacific security, and that's why I think we need to double down on shoring up our support for Ukraine and that's top of my agenda for the G20.
"There's got to be full support as long as it takes and that certainly is top of my agenda, shoring up that further support for Ukraine."
While No 10 has yet to officially respond to Biden's decision, Mr Cartlidge expressed hope that the UK would follow the US lead, granting Ukraine full autonomy to use UK-supplied long-range missiles.
"We welcome this decisive move from the US," he said. "It must now surely lead to Starmer giving Ukraine full autonomy on use of UK Storm Shadow missiles."
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently held talks with Mr Putin, marking the first publicly announced conversation between the Russian leader and a major Western head of state in nearly two years.
When asked if he had any plans for similar discussions, Sir Keir replied: "It's a matter for Chancellor Scholz who he speaks to. I have no plans to speak to Putin."