"I believe that the voice of the United States, the voice of NATO, the voice of Western partners, the voice of the Global South, and China is not resonating as loudly as it should regarding the presence of North Korean troops on Russian territory. I consider this to be very dangerous. It opens a new chapter in this war," noted Zelensky.
He compared the response to the emergence of North Korean military personnel in Russia to the beginning of the occupation of Ukrainian Crimea by Russia, when "there was silence from the West" and "no one wanted to react."
"I don't know why, but everyone was afraid of escalation. They really love this phrase: 'To avoid escalation.' And [illegitimate Russian President Vladimir] Putin, having once tested the waters with Crimea, realized that he could continue, and he tried with Donbass and achieved success. Donbass was occupied. And after eight years of occupying two Ukrainian territories, he launched a full-scale war. He is always testing, probing how it works. How will the West respond? The same goes for North Korean soldiers," emphasized the president.
According to him, a more effective response from the world is needed.
"So far, we have heard a reaction, but it is not strong enough. That is why Putin is testing, and I do not know how many more soldiers will arrive from North Korea or Iran. There could be more," pointed out Zelensky. "What will we do if 100,000 North Korean soldiers come? If they come to our territory, what will we do? What will the West do? What will the United States do? Many questions, a lot of rhetoric, and few decisive actions from leaders."