Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, stated on the 7th (local time) that some of the 11,000 North Korean troops deployed in the Kursk region of Russia have been engaged in combat, resulting in casualties among the North Korean forces. While he has not yet discussed with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who had pledged to end the war within 24 hours of taking office, and therefore does not know the details of Trump's plan, he repeatedly emphasized that the agenda for ending the war should be decided by Ukraine.
According to AFP and other news agencies, President Zelensky made these remarks during a press conference after attending the European Political Community (EPC) summit held in Budapest, Hungary. However, he did not specify the number of North Korean casualties. He added that he believes more North Korean troops will be deployed to Russia if corresponding countermeasures are not taken. The North Korean troops are presumed to be tasked with recapturing Kursk, Russian mainland territory currently occupied by Ukrainian forces.
Regarding questions about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's plan for an early end to the war, Zelensky said he does not know the details and has not discussed it with Trump. He stated, "I believe Trump wants to end the war between Russia and Ukraine quickly, but that does not necessarily mean it will happen." He also mentioned that entering ceasefire negotiations without security guarantees could be very dangerous. Zelensky reiterated, "Ukraine must decide what should and should not be included in the agenda to end this war."
During his U.S. presidential campaign, Trump emphasized "peace through strength" and had stated his intention to end the war between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. His approach suggested negotiating with Russia based on the "current borders." Currently, Russia occupies about 20% of Ukrainian territory. However, this ceasefire proposal conflicts with Zelensky's war strategy, which insists on a "victory formula" that fully protects Ukrainian territory. Additionally, Trump has implied that by reducing or halting support for Ukraine while simultaneously pressuring Russia, he aims to bring both sides to the negotiating table.
In his speech at the EPC summit that day, President Zelensky strongly expressed his opposition to any ceasefire plan involving territorial concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to a copy of the speech obtained by AFP, he said, "There has been much talk about surrendering, retreating, and making concessions to Putin. This is unacceptable for Ukraine and a suicidal act for all of Europe."
He also criticized some European leaders for strongly urging Ukraine to compromise, saying, "Embracing Putin does not help. Some of you have been embracing him for 20 years, but the situation is only getting worse." He then called for "peace through strength" as an urgent necessity and requested strong support from European leaders to stand up to Russia.
President Zelensky also mentioned the issue of North Korean troop deployment to Russia in his speech that day. He said, "North Korea is effectively waging war on European soil right now," and "North Korean soldiers are trying to kill our people on European land."
The European Political Community (EPC), also known as the 'EU+α Summit,' was launched in October 2022 after the outbreak of the Ukraine war to strengthen pan-European communication and cooperation. The meeting invited leaders from 47 countries, including the 27 EU member states.
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