Singh, responding to another journalist's questions, noted that if North Korean troops begin to engage in combat, North Korea will become an ally of the Russian Federation in the war, and this is "a very serious issue."
"But we are aware of these relationships. We will continue to monitor them. And I think, again, an important point here is that this really highlights Putin's desperation, as he has not been able to achieve his strategic goals on the battlefield," she said.
After that, Yarysh asked if the involvement of North Korean troops in the war would provoke a stronger U.S. response, such as increased military aid or lifting restrictions on Ukraine for long-range strikes with Western weapons.
Singh replied that she "doesn't want to resort to speculation" about increasing aid and reminded that just in the past week, the U.S. allocated approximately $800 million in aid to Ukraine.
"This is significant, and this is only in the past week. Our commitment to Ukraine has not changed. Our policy regarding long-range strikes and the ability to use something like ATACMS has not changed," she added.
The participation of North Korea in the war against Ukraine should be a red line for the White House, says House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner. He asked the Pentagon what the U.S. response would be in such a case, and whether they are considering military action against North Korean forces. pic.twitter.com/EJHMmBEKkz
– Ostap Yarysh (@OstapYarysh) October 25, 2024Then the Ukrainian journalist recalled a statement by House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner, a Republican, wrote on October 24 on X that the U.S. should "seriously consider" the possibility of direct military action against North Korea if its troops enter Ukrainian territory. Yarysh asked if this was feasible.
Now that Secretary Austin is aware that North Korean troops in Russia extend to the conflict with Ukraine, the Harris Administration must ensure that North Korean troops for this conflict are red.
I have… https://t.co/Mi0VfuUdGb
"Listen, again, I'm not going to speculate right now. What we are doing as the Department of Defense is supporting Ukraine in achieving its military objectives, which means providing security assistance," Singh said.
She reminded that U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited Kyiv earlier in the week and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. During the visit, he also attended presentations of Ukrainian defense forces "to understand how their military objectives on the battlefield align with their strategic and long-term goals."
"I can't go down the path of speculation because it's still unclear what exactly North Korean troops are doing in Russia. But I think this again underscores that Putin has really failed to achieve his strategic goals," the Pentagon Deputy Spokesperson added.