The Fort Worth Press - US vows 'firm' response to N.Korea deployment in Ukraine conflict

USD -
AED 3.672945
AFN 68.452776
ALL 93.048382
AMD 390.177793
ANG 1.816976
AOA 912.000099
ARS 998.254804
AUD 1.545095
AWG 1.8
AZN 1.698032
BAM 1.853558
BBD 2.03554
BDT 120.47462
BGN 1.854815
BHD 0.376842
BIF 2977.069937
BMD 1
BND 1.347372
BOB 6.966716
BRL 5.8066
BSD 1.008198
BTN 85.007628
BWP 13.679442
BYN 3.299388
BYR 19600
BZD 2.031743
CAD 1.40115
CDF 2865.00001
CHF 0.886796
CLF 0.035848
CLP 989.153355
CNY 7.2386
CNH 7.250155
COP 4485.54
CRC 514.803442
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 104.500739
CZK 23.960302
DJF 179.528977
DKK 7.067495
DOP 60.720649
DZD 134.172669
EGP 49.290223
ERN 15
ETB 123.045036
EUR 0.94761
FJD 2.27535
FKP 0.788182
GBP 0.78774
GEL 2.73022
GGP 0.788182
GHS 16.275027
GIP 0.788182
GMD 71.000353
GNF 8626.906515
GTQ 7.732614
GYD 209.363849
HKD 7.782585
HNL 25.442281
HRK 7.13329
HTG 132.50221
HUF 386.996975
IDR 15903.429748
ILS 3.75444
IMP 0.788182
INR 84.41005
IQD 1320.093319
IRR 42092.497378
ISK 139.679665
JEP 0.788182
JMD 159.538871
JOD 0.709096
JPY 155.855499
KES 129.000177
KGS 86.2029
KHR 4082.940274
KMF 466.349913
KPW 900.000082
KRW 1405.409479
KWD 0.30779
KYD 0.833937
KZT 496.700918
LAK 22131.335237
LBP 89600.701953
LKR 294.541861
LRD 189.957415
LSL 18.103174
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 4.882485
MAD 10.020131
MDL 18.159255
MGA 4702.502532
MKD 58.284107
MMK 2097.999942
MNT 3397.999993
MOP 8.017648
MRU 40.117279
MUR 47.429998
MVR 15.450179
MWK 1747.434509
MXN 20.575145
MYR 4.487941
MZN 63.899993
NAD 18.103174
NGN 1684.120018
NIO 37.087736
NOK 11.14889
NPR 135.978578
NZD 1.705044
OMR 0.385012
PAB 1
PEN 3.819421
PGK 4.022654
PHP 58.845999
PKR 278.051027
PLN 4.117614
PYG 7864.722013
QAR 3.674102
RON 4.718904
RSD 110.930976
RUB 98.496748
RWF 1383.186748
SAR 3.757331
SBD 8.383555
SCR 13.631406
SDG 601.506863
SEK 10.988925
SGD 1.346361
SHP 0.788182
SLE 22.815025
SLL 20969.515392
SOS 575.878195
SRD 35.280301
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.756103
SYP 2512.529926
SZL 18.108875
THB 35.068502
TJS 10.662352
TMT 3.51
TND 3.147935
TOP 2.38999
TRY 34.34961
TTD 6.800372
TWD 32.596799
TZS 2655.000038
UAH 41.343768
UGX 3672.512403
UYU 42.486895
UZS 12811.433733
VES 44.996696
VND 25396.829083
VUV 118.722046
WST 2.800822
XAF 621.928199
XAG 0.033254
XAU 0.000391
XCD 2.70255
XDR 0.753908
XOF 621.928199
XPF 113.14122
YER 249.774976
ZAR 18.26826
ZMK 9001.200197
ZMW 27.374927
ZWL 321.999592
  • CMSC

    0.0700

    24.61

    +0.28%

  • RIO

    -0.5800

    60.62

    -0.96%

  • SCS

    -0.3000

    13.37

    -2.24%

  • NGG

    -0.7800

    62.12

    -1.26%

  • CMSD

    -0.0200

    24.73

    -0.08%

  • AZN

    0.1000

    65.29

    +0.15%

  • BCC

    1.4200

    142.55

    +1%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0400

    7.07

    -0.57%

  • GSK

    -0.4100

    35.11

    -1.17%

  • BCE

    -0.4800

    27.21

    -1.76%

  • JRI

    0.0200

    13.24

    +0.15%

  • BTI

    0.1800

    35.42

    +0.51%

  • VOD

    0.2800

    8.75

    +3.2%

  • RBGPF

    59.2500

    59.25

    +100%

  • BP

    0.4100

    28.57

    +1.44%

  • RELX

    -0.4700

    46.12

    -1.02%

US vows 'firm' response to N.Korea deployment in Ukraine conflict
US vows 'firm' response to N.Korea deployment in Ukraine conflict / Photo: © POOL/AFP

US vows 'firm' response to N.Korea deployment in Ukraine conflict

US top diplomat Antony Blinken warned Wednesday that the deployment of North Korean troops alongside Russian forces fighting on the Ukrainian border demanded a "firm response".

Text size:

The secretary of state was speaking at the start of a day of Brussels talks with NATO and EU officials to urgently address ramping up support for Kyiv before Donald Trump reclaims the White House -- potentially jeopardising future aid.

Addressing reporters alongside NATO chief Mark Rutte, Blinken said they had discussed the fact North Korean forces have been "injected into the battle, and now, quite literally, in combat which demands and will get a firm response."

The US State Department confirmed Tuesday that Pyongyang's troops -- whose entry into the conflict marks a potentially major escalation -- have begun "engaging in combat operations" alongside Russian forces near the border with Ukraine.

A spokesman said that of the more than 10,000 North Korean soldiers sent to eastern Russia, "most of them have moved to the far western Kursk Oblast, where they have begun engaging in combat operations with Russian forces".

Rutte meanwhile stressed the crucial role played by China in helping Russia's "war effort", as well as Iranian weapons deliveries -- paid for with Russian funds that were in turn helping Tehran to "destabilize the Middle East".

Blinken was taking part in a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, NATO's decision-making body, before talks with European Union top diplomat Josep Borrell, his successor Kaja Kallas and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga.

His emergency trip comes as Trump's election victory, coupled with a political crisis in Germany, heightens fears about the future of assistance for Ukraine at a key point in the fight against Russia's invasion.

Trump has in the past voiced admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin and scoffed at the $175 billion the United States committed for Ukraine since the start of the war in 2022.

The 78-year-old tycoon, who will be inaugurated on January 20, spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after winning re-election following a first stint as president between 2017 and 2021.

He has boasted he can end the war in a day, likely by forcing concessions from Ukraine, although his newly named national security advisor, Mike Waltz, said Trump may also pressure Putin.

The Washington Post reported the Republican leader also held a phone call with Putin and discouraged an escalation by Russia. The Kremlin denied the report.

US media reported Trump might pick Republican Senator Marco Rubio to replace Blinken as secretary of state.

Rubio is seen as supportive of Kyiv but has also said Washington should show "pragmatism" rather than sending billions of dollars more in weapons as the war hit a "stalemate".

- 'As long as it takes' -

The Biden administration has made clear it plans in its remaining weeks to push through the more than $9 billion of remaining funding appropriated by Congress for weapons and other security assistance to Ukraine.

Mark Cancian, senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, expected the United States to focus in particular on sending vehicles, medical supplies and small-arms ammunition, which Ukraine needs and the United States can provide.

"Between now and the end of the administration, they're going to try to ship everything they can that's available," Cancian said.

Despite Kyiv's pleas it seems unlikely, however, that Washington will lift its veto on Ukraine's use of long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian territory.

Trump in his first term aggressively pushed Europe to step up defence spending and questioned the fairness of the NATO transatlantic alliance -- robustly defended by Biden.

"Whatever approach the US leadership takes towards Ukraine, Europe will have to step up, and we will have to take the lead in supporting Ukraine's defence efforts and macro financial stability," said Olena Prokopenko of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

"Unfortunately, Donald Trump's win comes at arguably the worst possible time in terms of Europe's political and economic shape and its ability to promptly coordinate".

H.M.Hernandez--TFWP