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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.