Congressman calls on US and NATO to consider attacking North Korean troops in Ukraine

House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner believes that the United States and NATO allies should be prepared to "attack directly North Korean troops" if they become involved in combat operations in Ukraine on Russia's side.

According to Voice of America, Turner also believes Ukraine should respond to Russian attacks with strikes using weapons provided by alias on targets deep within Russian territory. 

He emphasised that the involvement of North Korean forces in the war against Ukraine should be a red line for the US and NATO and allies should not rule out attacks on North Korean troops if they fight in Ukraine.

"I think the United States and NATO allies should seriously discuss and consider attacking directly North Korean troops that are in Ukraine and that are attacking Ukraine," he said.

"North Korean troops do not belong in Europe  attacking another European nation," Turner said.

"I think it is in NATO's interest and certainly the United States' interests as a member of NATO that Asian North Korean communist troops should not be marching into a European country and attacking it," he added.

Turner stressed that a decision to attack North Korean troops does not necessarily need to be made but stated that "a valid discussion should be had".

"I think they should have the discussion that North Korean troops should not be free from not being valid military targets by both NATO and the United States," Turner pointed out.

U.S. officials recently reported that around 8,000 North Korean troops are currently stationed in Russia's Kursk Oblast. 

The latest US estimate is that North Korea has deployed approximately 10,000 troops to Russia for training and to support combat operations against Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the current Western response to North Korea’s involvement as "zero".