North Koreans fighting for Putin threatens world order, Rutte says

China, Rutte said, “bears particular responsibility” to use its influence with Moscow and Pyongyang to de-escalate the conflict, as he chided Beijing for its efforts to “prop up” the Russian economy and provide access to technology used in its war on Ukraine.

Rutte’s comments come after Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed Tuesday that Ukrainian and North Korean forces had battled for the first time since Pyongyang dispatched troops to Russia, with “small-scale” clashes erupting Monday in Kursk.

The NATO leader also called on Indo-Pacific partners to “step up” their support and urged Western allies to engage in more consultation, intelligence-sharing and practical and political cooperation with those countries, including on defense production. Last month, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said he was considering providing military aid to Kyiv to counteract the North Korean deployment. 

“This dangerous expansion of the conflict escalates the war and demonstrates that our security is not regional, it is global,” Rutte said, echoing repeated calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for increased support from Western allies.