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\nUnited Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was \u201cvery concerned\u201d on Sunday about reports that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia, and at their possible deployment to the conflict zone of Ukraine.
\u201cThe Secretary-General is very concerned about reports of troops from the Democratic People\u2019s Republic of Korea being sent to the Russian Federation, including their possible deployment to the conflict zone,\u201d said Stephane Dujarric, the UN chief\u2019s spokesman.
US intelligence has said North Korean forces have made their way to Russia\u2019s Kursk border region, with Washington and Seoul urging Pyongyang to withdraw its troops.
North Korea and Russia have not denied the troop deployment reports, with the grinding war in Ukraine still ongoing more than 2.5 years after Moscow invaded its neighbor.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday the deployment of North Korean troops against Ukrainian forces could happen \u201cin the coming days.\u201d
On Sunday, Guterres said such a deployment would be \u201ca very dangerous escalation\u201d of the war in Ukraine.
\u201cEverything must be done to avoid any internationalization of this conflict,\u201d he said, while reiterating a call for \u201cmeaningful efforts\u201d to end the war.
North Korea and Iran have emerged as Russia\u2019s main backers in Ukraine, with both believed to be supplying Moscow with military hardware.
Pyongyang is widely believed to be offering military support in return for Russian nuclear technology.<\/p>\n