«A threat to world peace«This is what North Korea’s sending of troops to fight alongside Russia in the war in Ukraine means for the European Commission and NATO, and it only confirms what it had already warned about halfway through this year. In the same month, Volodmir Zelensky himself in Brussels «Another step towards world war,» said the president of Ukraine after meeting with European presidents.
The initial reaction that both the EU and NATO showed to these words was cautious, always speaking in conditional terms. «If the sending of troops were confirmed», «would» or «would cause», are the words used. But now the tone has hardened considerably and today several events have occurred that demonstrate that the concern in the community capital is very important. That there is even fear.
Because in the first joint meeting held on Tuesday between the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the new Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Mark Rutte, both agreed and published their respective profiles on the social network refers to a possible major international war.
«Their conversation focused on the importance of a close and strategic alliance between the European Union and the Atlantic Alliance. Both agreed that, in an increasingly dangerous world, this alliance is essential to promote and protect peace , freedom and prosperity. Russia’s war on aggression on European soil constitutes the greatest threat to peace«, begin the joint statement from the two Brussels-based organizations.
And it continues. “President Von der Leyen and Secretary General Rutte stressed that the deployment of North Korean soldiers in support of Russia’s war of aggression represents a significant escalation of the war against Ukraine, as well as a serious threat.” for European security and world peace«.
But Commission sources also confirmed today that Josep Borrell, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, will travel to Seoul to discuss North Korea’s alignment with its southern neighbors. Specifically, next Monday he will meet his South Korean counterpart, Yoon Suk Yeol, after having done so on Friday with the Foreign Minister of Japan, Takeshi Iwaya.
These two meetings were already on the agenda of the head of European diplomacy, but in the capital of the Community they underline that the escalation entailed by the sending of up to 12,000 elite North Korean soldiers has completely changed the purpose of the meetings and that, without any interruption , doubt, be the main issue to be addressed. «The European Union is deeply alarmed due to reports that North Korea is sending troops to participate in Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine,” Borrell noted last week.
In community terms, the use of “profoundly” is limited to situations where a very high level of concern actually exists. Not used lightlyA. And in case it wasn’t clear, the High Representative added that sending troops «would constitute a serious violation of international law, including the most fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter», and that these events «demonstrate yet another time as Russia» is spreading instability and growing tensions in the region and in the world».
Borrell also warned weeks ago that a «major international conflict» could occur. He did this by referring to the fact that this was the goal of Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, and before it was known that Kim Jong-un was sending troops to support Vladimir Putin, which only reinforces that warning . Ukraine, Russia, North Korea, Israel, Iran twice, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. Many territories engaged in armed clashes, in war, and many intersecting interests also of the United States and its next president, China and of the European Union itself.