Zelensky: For First Time, Russia Cannot Wage War Without North Korea; Warns of New Threats to Japan, South Korea, Philippines

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that Russia, for the first time in its history, can no longer sustain a war without North Korean support, warning that Moscow is simultaneously helping Pyongyang improve weapons and combat capabilities. “This is the first time in Russia’s history when they no longer have a strategic reserve,” Zelensky said in his Monday evening address. “For the first time, they cannot wage war without help from North Korea.”JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Zelensky said Moscow is now preparing to deploy an additional North Korean military contingent on Russian territory and has received another delivery of ballistic missiles from Pyongyang. He warned that the consequences extend far beyond Ukraine. “Everyone who thinks seriously must understand what this means,” Zelensky said. “This is not only about the lives of people in Ukraine, and not only about threats specifically to us.” The Ukrainian leader stressed that North Korean ballistic missiles and other weapons are being improved through cooperation with Russia. Russia becomes North Korea’s battlefield school Zelensky’s warning casts Russia’s war against Ukraine as an increasingly important training ground for the North Korean military. Every missile launched against Ukraine gives Pyongyang information about how its weapons perform under real battlefield conditions. Every deployment of North Korean soldiers gives its military experience against Ukrainian forces using Western weapons, drones, electronic warfare and modern battlefield tactics. Other Topics of Interest Canada Sanctions Armored Vehicle Manufacturer Over Russia Ties The UAE-based company, run by a Canadian-Russian businessman, is accused of supplying Russia’s military despite EU sanctions. That experience, Zelensky warned, will not necessarily remain confined to Europe. The danger for Asian countries, in Kyiv’s assessment, is therefore not simply that North Korea is helping Russia wage war against Ukraine. Russia is helping North Korea become better prepared for future wars. Japan, South Korea and Philippines named as potential targets Zelensky explicitly named Japan, South Korea and the Philippines while describing the countries that could ultimately face a more capable North Korean military. “When we speak about joint action, coordination and helping us strengthen air defense, we are also talking about curbing North Korea’s appetite to come here – onto our land and into our skies – with its weapons to learn how to wage war,” Zelensky said. Zelensky has warned that Moscow is preparing another major North Korean deployment and receiving new ballistic missiles from Pyongyang, turning Russia’s war against Ukraine into a growing security threat far beyond Europe. Sevinj Osmanqizi is an experienced journalist who writes extensively for Kyiv Post on foreign policy, international security and geopolitics. Based in Washington, D.C., her work focuses on Ukraine, Russia’s war and the broader post-Soviet space.