NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed on Monday that North Korean troops have been sent to help Russia in its war against Ukraine, representing the “growing desperation” of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Rutte told reporters that increasing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea “is a threat” to Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security.

“Today, I can confirm that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia, and that North Korean military units have been deployed to the Kursk region,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told reporters.

Russia is currently fighting back against a Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region.

US MUST WEIGH ‘MILITARY ACTION AGAINST’ NORTH KOREAN FORCES IF INVADING UKRAINE: HOUSE INTEL CHAIR TURNER

Rutte said the addition of North Korean troops in the conflict represents “a significant escalation” in and marks “a dangerous expansion” of “Russia’s illegal war.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin smile during their meeting at the Pyongyang Sunan International Airport outside Pyongyang, North Korea, on June 19, 2024.  (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

“Over 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in Putin’s war and he is unable to sustain his assault on Ukraine without foreign support,” Rutte said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed the troop movement Wednesday in a statement, saying it would be a “a very, very serious issue” if North Korean troops deploy to Ukraine. 

The Kremlin has dismissed reports of North Korea deploying troops as “fake news,” while a North Korean United Nations representative called the reports “groundless rumors,” Reuters reported. 

SOUTH KOREA DEMANDS WITHDRAWAL OF NORTH KOREAN TROOPS ALLEGEDLY HELPING RUSSIA FIGHT UKRAINE

Rutte spoke in Brussels after a high-level South Korean delegation, including top intelligence and military officials as well as senior diplomats, briefed the alliance’s 32 national ambassadors at NATO headquarters.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed that North Korean troops have been sent to help Russia in its war against Ukraine. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Rutte said NATO is “actively consulting within the alliance, with Ukraine, and with our Indo-Pacific partners,” on developments.

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“We continue to monitor the situation closely,” he said. He did not take questions after the statement.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Íñigo Errejón, a prominent figure from the Spanish government’s junior coalition partner, Sumar, is under investigation for alleged sexual abuse, officials confirmed on Friday following his abrupt resignation. 

Errejón, the spokesperson for the left-wing Sumar coalition, announced his departure from politics in a post on X on Thursday but did not directly address the allegations. 

The accusations emerged after Spanish journalist Cristina Fallarás shared on Instagram an anonymous post accusing a “well-known Madrid-based politician” of engaging in “psychological abuse.” 

Soon after Errejón’s resignation, actress Elisa Mouliaá publicly identified him as her alleged abuser. 

“I am a victim of sexual harassment by Íñigo Errejón and I want to denounce it,” the actress posted on X. 

The Ministry of Interior reported that a formal complaint had been lodged against Errejón.

In Mouliaá’s police statement, she described the events as occurring in September 2021 during a private gathering at a friend’s home. 

According to the complaint, Errejón allegedly behaved violently and engaged in non-consensual touching, leaving the actress “paralysed and unable to react.” 

The domestic press said that in a conversation with Sumar’s leadership, he has confessed to “machismo” — a term used in Spain to describe toxic masculinity, but also any form of unwanted behaviour against women.

In the post announcing his resignation, Errejón made a veiled reference to the allegations he’s facing. “Ideological struggle is also a struggle to build better ways of life and relationships — more caring, more supportive, and therefore freer,” he said.

Sumar’s crisis deepens with declining support

Sumar, a feminist-aligned platform, has been facing a significant decline in support in recent elections, leading to party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz stepping back from her leadership. 

The coalition government, already reliant on the support of smaller parties, is now more vulnerable amid this controversy, especially as negotiations for this year’s budget become increasingly complex. 

This scandal unfolds against the backdrop of Spain’s heightened scrutiny of abuses of power following last year’s high-profile case involving Spanish women’s national football team president Luis Rubiales. 

Errejón, who co-founded the far-left party Podemos before forming Más País, now part of Sumar, had been a prominent political figure for over a decade. Sumar has announced an internal investigation following the accusations. 

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his support for women facing abuse while reaffirming trust in Díaz and Sumar.

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“This is a very unpleasant moment, but we’ve taken action. This case is particularly painful for a feminist government, but the key is how one responds. As soon as the situation became known, Yolanda (Díaz) acted swiftly and decisively,” Sánchez told journalists.

Meanwhile, the opposition People’s Party has pressed Díaz to clarify when she first became aware of the allegations against Errejón, who had been considered a potential successor for the Sumar leadership.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — There is no doubt that the U.S. election will determine the trajectory of the war in Ukraine.

The status of military aid from Kyiv’s chief international backer is dependent on who becomes president, as is any prospect for a cease-fire that could benefit Ukraine.

Some in Kyiv say the country’s very existence hinges on who wins the White House.

As Americans vote, exhausted and outmanned Ukrainian soldiers are holding defensive lines under constant Russian fire, knowing the results will dictate their future.

The war in Ukraine is one of the most divisive issues of the Nov. 5 election: Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, advocate very different views on how much support the U.S. should continue to give Ukraine.

After a whirlwind Western tour, Kyiv’s leaders have tried to promote their version of what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls his “victory plan.” They hope key decisions will be made — including Ukraine’s bid for NATO membership — by the new administration.

For now, they have no choice but to wait.

“We believe that regardless of the last name of the future president of the U.S., the country of the United States will not give up global dominance, global leadership as such. And this is possible only through the support of Ukraine and through the defeat of the Russian Federation,” said Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskyy.

Harris would likely continue Biden’s policies

Harris, who has decried President Vladimir Putin’s “brutality,” would likely carry on President Joe Biden’s policy of support, albeit within the strict limits on Ukraine’s ability to strike deep inside Russian territory that have frustrated Kyiv’s leaders.

“President Biden has made it clear from the beginning of this conflict that his top priority has been to avoid an all-out war with Russia. I think that remains the top American priority,” said Malcom Chalmers, deputy director general at the Royal United Services Institute in London.

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The U.S. has provided Ukraine more than $59.5 billion in military weapons and assistance since Russia invaded in February 2022. But throughout, Kyiv has been captive to fraught American politics that often undermined its battlefield potential.

Ukraine lost territory and manpower as weapons stocks dwindled during the six months it took the U.S. Congress to pass an aid package. Even promised military assistance has failed to arrive on time or in sufficient quantities.

Ukraine is still hoping for Western approval of strikes inside Russian territory with longer-range weapons supplied by its allies. It also holds hundreds of square kilometers (square miles) in Russia’s Kursk region after an incursion in August.

Still, Biden’s commitment to support Ukraine has never wavered. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a $400 million package during his recent visit. Zelenskyy said he expects another worth $800 million, the first tranche for Ukraine’s production of long-range capabilities. Still another $8 billion is expected by the end of the year.

But for some, all that is too late.

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“If the amount of aid that was promised but not delivered had been fulfilled, we could have entered negotiations in a stronger position with Russia,” said Gen. Lt. Ihor Romanenko, former deputy chief of the General Staff.

What to know about the 2024 Election

Trump’s vague vows and praise for Putin

Trump has repeatedly taken issue with U.S. aid to Ukraine, made vague vows to end the war and has praised Putin.

He also is considered highly unpredictable.

Some Ukrainian officials even privately welcome this quality, saying it could bring about results quicker. But so much is unknown about what decisions Trump would make.

“He has emphasized that he has a very different approach to Ukraine than Kamala Harris. And if what he’s saying now is translated into action, then it’s going to be a very rocky period for Ukraine,” Chalmers said.

“Donald Trump is raising the very distinct probability that the United States will cut off most if not all military aid to Ukraine, which given that the situation on the ground, although deadlocked, is one which Russia currently has the advantage, could tip the balance in Russia’s favor,” he added.

Podolyak said Trump “understands the logic” of Zelenskyy’s plans after meeting with him. “Mr. Trump realized that there is no way to agree on something in this war, because it is necessary to ensure Russia’s compulsion to understand what a war is, what consequences Russia will have in this war. That is, Russia can be forced to do something, but not asked.”

Faced with Trump’s harsh rhetoric, some Ukrainian officials say that despite his stated views, his actions as president at times benefited Ukraine. Some of the toughest sanctions fell on Russia’s elite during his administration. Trump also approved the sale of lethal weapons to Ukraine, something President Barack Obama fell short of doing.

Most Ukrainians fear Trump will halt all military aid to Kyiv, and no other country can match the U.S. support. Ukrainian soldiers remain defiant, saying they’ll continue to hold the line, no matter what.

But the practical implications would be dire, and Kyiv may be forced to accept devastating cease-fire terms, with a fifth of its territory under Russian control.

“If the aid is stopped, the situation will become more complicated,” Romanenko said. “In this case, the seizure of Ukrainian land will continue, but we do not know how fast, because their offensive potential is not unlimited.”

Zelenskyy’s plans hang in the balance

Zelenskyy has presented his vision for ending the war to both Trump and Harris, arguing for its necessity. He said Ukraine hopes for a post-election response from Washington, particularly on the question of NATO membership, insisting that such an invitation be irreversible.

Both Ukraine and Russia are feeling considerable economic and societal strain to maintain the war effort. For the first time, Zelenskyy has openly discussed the potential for a partial cease-fire. But important questions remain about the fate of Russian-occupied territories.

Russia has allocated a large part of its government budget to defense spending and continues to lose thousands of men. The potential introduction of what Zelenskyy has put at 10,000 North Korean troops signals that Moscow is having issues with mobilizing new conscripts.

Ukraine’s battered energy infrastructure and struggling mobilization drive is under far more pressure than Russia, however. Kyiv must find a way to de-escalate the intensity of the war and attacks on shipping and energy assets.

“In the end, it’s only going to happen if both sides calculate that they will get a net benefit from doing so,” Chalmers said.

“My concern would be in the uncertainty of the coming months when the Russians may believe that one last push and they can really get much larger concessions from the Ukrainians,” he added.

Zelenskyy’s plans were developed with this reality in mind. It’s why his team insists Russia must be forced to talk rather than convinced to do so. Without nuclear weapons to serve as a deterrent, NATO is the only logical alternative.

“I said, ‘We don’t have nuclear weapons, and we are not in NATO, and we will not be in NATO during the war. That’s why I need this package. And you cannot be against it,’” Zelenskyy said, describing his argument to reporters.

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Follow AP’s coverage of Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/ukraine#