The Pentagon issued a stark warning that North Korean troops would be used as "cannon fodder" if it sends soldiers to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine.
"I think that if I were North Korean military personnel management, I would be questioning my choices on sending my forces to be cannon fodder in an illegal war against Ukraine," Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a press conference Tuesday, according to FOX News.
Russia and North Korea entered into a pact earlier this month, vowing to defend each other in "war situations."
"If one of the two sides is placed under war situations due to an armed invasion from an individual country or several nations, the other side provides military and other assistance without delay by mobilizing all means in its possession," the agreement states, the outlet reported.
Ryder said North Korean soldiers entering Ukrainian territories taken over by Russia is "certainly something to keep an eye on," the outlet reported.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea to meet with Kim Jong Un to discuss the agreement.
North Korea has been providing Russia with weapons in exchange for economic assistance and technology.
"The comprehensive partnership agreement signed today provides, among other things, for mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the parties to this agreement," Putin said at the time, according to the Associated Press, marking his first visit to North Korea in 24 years.
