Zelensky criticized the West for its delay in responding to North Korean troops in Russia.

Ukraine, like the rest of the world, is currently monitoring every site where Russia is gathering soldiers from North Korea. However, instead of granting the necessary long-range capabilities, partners are merely observing.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing a statement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky emphasized that if Ukraine had information about all the locations where Russia is training North Korean troops, it could launch a preemptive strike.

"If we had the capability to strike at sufficient range. And this depends on our partners. But instead of providing the much-needed long-range capabilities, America is watching, Britain is watching, Germany is watching. Everyone is just waiting for North Korean troops to start attacking Ukrainians," he stated.

The President highlighted that everyone in the world who truly wants this war of Russia against Ukraine to not escalate and for the conflict in Europe not to spread to other regions must not just observe.

"Action is needed. Words about the unacceptability of escalation and the expansion of war must align with actions," Zelensky concluded.

North Korean Soldiers in Russia

Recall that since the beginning of October, North Korea has started deploying its military to Russia. According to Ukrainian intelligence, over 10,000 North Korean soldiers were spotted on Russian territory last week.

Yesterday, October 31, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reported that 8,000 of these troops are located in the Kursk region. They are not currently engaged in combat operations, but the situation may change in the coming days.

Zelensky noted that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is testing the West's reaction to the presence of North Korean forces in Russia. If the reaction is weak, the number of North Korean troops in Russia may increase.