In mid-November, the American State Department and South Korean intelligence confirmed that North Korean troops are directly involved in Russia’s war against Ukraine. The European Parliament resolution condemns the involvement of Kim Jong Un’s regime and underscores that this new phase of the war could have serious consequences for European security. MEPs are calling on the EU to take decisive steps.
“Putin knows that his citizens see the drama of this war, that many, especially young men, are dying in this war and few in Russia want to participate in this assault on Ukraine. That’s why Putin is using soldiers not only from North Korea but also increasingly from other countries. This is terrifying and the European Union cannot watch this passively” – emphasizes Robert Biedron, MEP of the New Left, in conversation with the Newseria agency.
“We know that North Korean soldiers, 11 thousand soldiers, have been brought to Ukraine, there are also mercenaries from Africa. Russia is also receiving drones from Iran which attacks Ukraine, so it shows that the war in Ukraine today is a confrontation of the democratic world with the world of authoritarian states that do not respect the rules of democracy and the rule of law” – says Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Member of the European Parliament from Law and Justice.
“It’s not surprising that two totalitarian regimes are supporting each other, we have already seen such examples in the pages of history. We must look at this more broadly and build our own alliances in Europe and transatlantic ones strong enough to stop this alliance of two tyrants” – adds Ċukasz Kohut, a member of the European Parliament from the Civic Coalition.
The conflict in Ukraine is expanding and escalating with the introduction of North Korean troops to the front. Their use supplements the already significant military assistance from Pyongyang in other areas, such as the supply of artillery missiles and ammunition. MEPs emphasize that this is a new stage of the war that requires urgent action. In the resolution adopted at the end of November, they condemned Russia’s use of North Korean troops and the testing of new ballistic missiles in Ukraine.
“We are already dealing with a global conflict, the participation of soldiers from North Korea indicates this. We also have to unite. The situation across the ocean is a bit worrisome, but fortunately we have a new European Commission and two commissioners who will be dealing with security from our part of Europe. I see great hope that the cooperation of Kai Kallas and Andrius Kubilius will go smoothly and that we will also be able to say about the European Union that it is also a defensive union” – Ċukasz Kohut assesses.
As Andrius Kubilius, the new Commissioner for Defense, recently informed, his task – together with the head of EU diplomacy, Kaja Kallas – will be to prepare a white paper on European defense. The need for close cooperation in this field is increasingly and more loudly voiced in the EU. The Strategic Compass, i.e., the EU security strategy published in 2022, envisages the establishment of rapid reaction forces (RDC), counting up to 5,000 soldiers by 2025. As the Center for Eastern Studies reminds, the RDC should already be ready in 2025 to implement two types of scenarios: evacuation and the beginning of a stabilization mission in a hostile environment. There are also more and more initiatives to strengthen the European defense industry, assuming, among other things, greater investment in this sector, increasing ammunition production, or joint orders.
“We must ask ourselves whether we want to be just an economic and political union. In my opinion, no. What has happened in the European Parliament over the last five years shows that a defense union, rapid reaction forces, are needed, not least because we need to be prepared for various scenarios in the United States. If we, as the European Union, were to start to integrate, even defense systems or to build a defensive dome over Europe, we would certainly scare the Russian-Korean alliance a bit. Foreign policy also involves flexing muscles” – argues an MEP from the Coalition.
According to Eurobarometer data published in 2022, a clear majority of EU citizens (81 percent) are in favor of a common defense and security policy – in each EU country, this support is at least two-thirds of citizens. About 93 percent agree that countries should act together to defend EU territory, and 85 percent – that cooperation in the field of defense at the community level should be intensified. Strengthening defense seems necessary, especially in the context of the results of elections in the USA.
“We hope that Trump will continue to stand on the side of fighting Ukraine, perhaps he does indeed have some solutions that will help start the peace process, but I also have deep hope and conviction that he will not strive for peace at the expense of Ukraine and the Ukrainian nation” – says Jacek Protas, Member of the European Parliament, Civic Platform
Donald Trump has repeatedly argued that he can end the war in Ukraine quickly. He recently chose retired General Keith Kellogg as a special envoy for Russia and Ukraine. In the spring, on the website of the think tank America First Policy Initiative, Kellogg argued that there should be a ceasefire and the start of peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. This depended on further financial support for Ukraine.
“Donald Trump is definitely a more determined politician, as I think, than the previous administration, which unfortunately sent weapons to Ukraine on a drip, not allowing Ukraine to win this war from the beginning. I am convinced that Trump’s determination will sooner or later lead to the end of this war and to Putin abandoning warlike actions, but we still have to wait for Donald Trump to take office” – predicts Arkadiusz Mularczyk.
“Trump has already promised us the reconciliation of South Korea with North Korea, he promised really pears on a willow, I am afraid that these are just empty declarations, out of which there will be little. We need solidarity with Ukraine today, because Ukraine is fighting for freedom not only its own but also ours. There will be no free, safe Poland and Europe without a free, independent and safe Ukraine.” -unes Robert BiedroĊ.
Since the beginning of Russian aggression, EU member states have provided Ukraine with about 124 billion euros support. The resolution of the European Parliament recently adopted calls on the EU and its member states to further strengthen military support for Ukraine, including the provision of aircraft, long-range missiles, ammunition, artillery and training programs for Ukrainian forces, and also calls for faster delivery of declared equipment. It also affirmed its position that all EU member states and NATO allies should individually and collectively commit to providing Ukraine with military support amounting to at least 0.25 percent of their GDP annually.
“There is a need to intensify military assistance, there are many countries in the European Union that can do even more in this matter but unfortunately do not. Secondly, broader sanctions are required. Thirdly, it is necessary to liquidate all Russian assets frozen in accounts in Western European countries. This is a huge amount of money, over 200 billion euros, which could be allocated in support of fighting Ukraine” – lists a member of the European Parliament from the New Left.
“We need to unblock the assistance that EU member states can deliver to Ukraine today but do not. It is incomprehensible to me because there are still reserves, for example in Germany and many other countries, which can be activated and which can tip the scales of victory in favor of Ukraine” – says Jacek Protas.
“Sanctions certainly need to be tightened, after all, LNG gas is still being imported into Europe, so we simply need to cut off all resources, especially oil and gas from Russia, impose sanctions also on all those who support this regime, use it, both oligarchs and those responsible for war crimes” – adds Arkadiusz Mularczyk.
In the resolution, the European Parliament demands from the EU Council to extend sanctions against Russia; especially against sectors of special economic significance, such as the raw materials, metallurgical, nuclear, chemical, agricultural and banking sectors.
