Zelensky: North Korea gains modern war experience in Ukraine, posing a threat to Asia
Cooperation between Russia and North Korea in the war against Ukraine creates additional risks for the security of East Asia, as North Korean military personnel gain real experience in modern combat, particularly in the use of drones. At the same time, Ukraine wants to develop defense technology partnership with Japan and proposes to conclude a bilateral Drone Deal.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in an interview with Japanese TV channel NHK, which he gave on September 16 in Kyiv.
According to Zelensky, North Korea sent between 30 and 50 thousand troops to Russia. He emphasized that cooperation with Moscow gave them the opportunity to gain practical war experience that cannot be obtained during regular training or on simulators.
"Russia gave them the opportunity to gain experience of real combat and undergo training. Not on a digital simulator, but in real life", - said the president.
According to him, such training did not require significant financial expenses for Pyongyang: North Korean military could deploy in Russia, undergo training, and return home.
Zelensky claims that North Korean troops suffered significant losses after directly engaging in combat against Ukrainian forces during the Kursk operation. After that, he said, they decided not to enter the territory of Ukraine, but continued to train in Russia.
"They learn, work with drones and drone operators, train with them. This is a big problem, especially for security in the Pacific region", - said Zelensky.
Thus, in his opinion, the war in Ukraine allows North Korea to accumulate practical knowledge about technologies and tactics, which may later be used in East Asia.
China can influence Russia
Separately, Zelensky spoke about China's role in the war. According to him, he personally saw North Korean-made missiles in Ukraine, but not Chinese ones.
However, the president stated that Chinese technologies and equipment are reaching Russia. According to him, this may happen along with the relevant technologies and specialists.
Zelensky also said that he does not see political pressure from Beijing on Moscow to end the war.
In his opinion, China currently has significant influence over Russia due to sanctions against Moscow, problems in the Russian banking and energy systems, and dependence on alternative trade channels.
"China can find a way to push Putin towards negotiations. I am sure. But they have not done it", - said the president.
According to Zelensky's assessment, China is not neutral but is "slightly more on Russia's side". At the same time, he clarified that he is not talking about direct arms supplies from Beijing to Moscow, but about greater openness and willingness to cooperate with Russia than with Ukraine.
Ukraine proposed a Drone Deal to Japan
In the interview, Zelensky also proposed significantly expanding defense cooperation between Ukraine and Japan - both between governments and directly between companies.
According to him, more than 70% of Ukraine's defense industry is currently in the private sector, which creates opportunities for cooperation in G2G and B2B formats.
"We really want to build miltech cooperation between Ukraine and Japan", - said Zelensky.
Among the promising areas, he mentioned drones for maritime surveillance, reconnaissance and demining, air defense systems, and cybersecurity.
The president separately stated that Ukraine would like to agree with Tokyo on a Drone Deal.
"We wanted to conclude a Drone Deal with Japan. Maybe you will need some defense equipment. This, of course, is up to Japan to decide", - said Zelensky.
According to him, cooperation can be mutually beneficial: Japan can gain access to Ukrainian technologies and experience of modern warfare, while Ukraine gets additional opportunities for developing its defense industry and bilateral trade.
Based on materials from: NHK, Volodymyr Zelensky
