US believes North Korea initiated sending its troops to Russia – NYT

The New York Times reported that US intelligence believes that Pyongyang was the first to suggest that North Korean troops participate in the war on the side of Russia, not the Kremlin.

According to The New York Times, when North Korean troops began arriving in Russia this autumn, some Western officials saw it as a sign that the Kremlin desperately needed more soldiers, the newspaper writes.

"But US intelligence agencies have now assessed that the deployment was North Korea’s idea and not Russia’s, though President [sic] Vladimir V. Putin quickly embraced it, American officials say," the publication reports.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sent at least 10,000 troops to Russia, according to Ukrainian and Western estimates. The North Koreans are mostly part of the Russian units that are leading a counter-offensive against Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast.

US officials do not believe Kim has received anything immediate from Russia in response to the troops’ "assistance".

Instead, they said, the DPRK leader seems to be hoping that Russia will repay him in the future by offering support in diplomatic struggles, assistance in case of crisis and the provision of technology.

US officials have said that it is important for Russia to enlist the support of North Korea and Iran, which provided military assistance during the war. This has allowed Russia to maintain intense artillery shelling on the front line and put pressure on Ukrainian cities by attacking critical infrastructure with drones.

Following massive assaults on Saturday, 15 December, Ukrainian forces posted images and videos of Russian and North Korean soldiers killed in Kursk Oblast.

The Pentagon predicts an increase in casualties among the North Korean military, which continues to take part in the fighting in Kursk Oblast.