Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, has called for the US to consider “direct military action” if North Korean troops are sent to fight in Ukraine.
“If North Korean troops were to invade Ukraine’s sovereign territory, the United States needs to seriously consider taking direct military action against the North Korean troops,” Turner wrote on X.
The Ohio congressman also said if North Korean troops attack Ukraine from Russian territory, the US should support long-range Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory using NATO-provided missiles, which Russia has made clear risks nuclear war.
“I have long challenged the Biden-Harris Administration’s unwise position on restricting Ukraine’s use of US weapons against targets within Russian territory,” Turner said. “If North Korean troops attack Ukraine from Russian territory, Ukraine should be permitted to use American weapons to respond.”
Turner’s comments come after Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said there was “evidence” of North Korean troops being sent to eastern Russia. North Korea has denied that it sent troops to Russia, and when asked about the allegations on Thursday, Russia’s envoy to South Korea said he couldn’t confirm the reports.
“I cannot confirm these reports. To my mind, what has been provided as evidence of this is not convincing,” said Russian Ambassador Georgy Zinovyev.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that about 10,000 North Korean troops could enter the war. He is hyping up the threat to push the US and NATO to adopt his so-called “victory plan,” which calls for significant escalations in military support, including long-range strikes on Russian territory with NATO missiles and NATO countries shooting down Russian missiles and drones over Ukrainian territory.
