President Volodymyr Zelensky urged China to use its influence over North Korea to prevent the deployment of North Korean soldiers to the frontline, during his evening address on Dec. 27.
He emphasized the severe losses in Kursk Oblast that North Korean soldiers have faced thus far.
“They have many losses. Very many. And we see that the Russian military and North Korean overseers are not at all interested in their survival,” he said.
Zelensky described reports of North Korean soldiers being sent into poorly protected assaults by Russian forces and are sometimes even executed by their own people.
He called the situation “a manifestation of the madness that dictatorships are capable of” and appealed to China.
“The Korean people should not lose their people in battles in Europe. And this can be influenced, in particular, by Korea's neighbors, in particular, China. If China is sincere in its statements that the war should not expand, appropriate influence on Pyongyang is necessary,” Zelensky said.
China has strengthened its ties with Russia since the beginning of its full-scale war against Ukraine. However, Beijing has denied allegations of aiding Russia's war effort.
Since February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited China twice — first just days before he launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and again in May 2024.
Beijing has also positioned itself as a mediator, sending envoy Li Hui on multiple rounds of shuttle diplomacy in Europe.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
(Updated: )
