Putin may not have yet decided what he will give North Korea in exchange for its troops – US National Security Advisor

The United States is still assessing what exactly Russia will offer North Korea in exchange for its troops' involvement in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Source: Jake Sullivan, the President’s National Security Advisor, in an interview with CBS News, reported by European Pravda

Details: Sullivan said that the US "does not know for sure" what Russia is providing to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in return for sending his troops to fight in Ukraine.

Quote: "...and frankly, I think Vladimir Putin doesn't know for sure. I think he probably hasn't decided exactly what he's going to do for North Korea on a going forward basis."

Biden's advisor speculated that "Kim Jong Un expects that he's going to get something significant, probably in the form of military and technology support from Russia" – potentially even for North Korea’s nuclear program.

Quote: " I can't say exactly what will happen, but we have already heard the Russians come out and say that North Korea's nuclear program should be looked at differently today than it was five or ten years ago. So the concern about the relationship between Russia and North Korea, in both directions, is very real and something that all of the nations of the free world need to pay attention to." 

Background:

• This week, the US confirmed that North Korean troops were involved in combat in Kursk Oblast in recent days.
• Additionally, The New York Times reported that a combined force of 50,000 Russian and North Korean troops is preparing to launch a large-scale counteroffensive in Kursk Oblast.
• NATO member states condemned the decision by Russia and North Korea to involve North Korean troops in combat operations against Ukraine.

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