“A decision has been made for 30,000 to 50,000 North Koreans to be deployed on the territory of ​Russia”, he said. Zelenskiy also expressed his pronounced concerns about the increasing military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty during Putin’s June 2024 ​visit to the capital Pyongyang. “All of this poses a threat to every country in Asia that ⁠lies ​within range of North Korean ​missiles,” he said. This would be in exchange for the Republic of Korea (ROK) supporting Ukraine’s need for more air and missile defense capabilities – a discipline in which Seoul’s defense industry is well-versed.