Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week proposed a prisoner swap to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, following the reported capture of two North Korean soldiers by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region.
Zelenskyy said on social media that Ukraine is “ready to hand over [the] soldiers” if Kim can organize an exchange for Ukrainians held by Russia.
The proposal speaks to the extraordinary ‘internationalization’ of the conflict, bringing isolated North Koreans nearly 7,000 kilometres from home to the frontlines of the yearslong Russia-Ukraine war.
The Ukrainian president also posted a video of what appeared to be the interrogation of the two North Korean prisoners. Speaking through an interpreter, one of the men stated that his commanders led him to believe he was participating in a far-flung training exercise rather than an all-out war.
The soldiers are just two of an estimated 11,000 North Koreans that have been dispatched to fight for Moscow since October. South Korean intelligence posits that, since then, 300 North Korean soldiers have been killed and 2,700 have been wounded.
Ukraine’s special forces also recently published excerpts from a diary — reportedly recovered from a dead North Korean soldier — featuring crude battlefield tactics and unswerving praise for Kim. “Even at the cost of my life, I will carry out the Supreme Commander’s orders without hesitation,” reads one entry from the journal.
One Ukrainian officer told Politico that North Korean troops are “young, motivated, physically fit, brave, and ... disciplined.”
In June 2024, following a visit to North Korea by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pyongyang and Moscow elevated their diplomatic relationship to the highest possible level and pledged mutual aid in the event of an attack.
Possible ‘quid pro quo’ in the works: Blinken
Last Monday in Seoul, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that Moscow, in exchange for troop support, could share “advanced space and satellite technology” with Pyongyang.
Blinken’s warning comes as Seoul grapples with a deepening political crisis. On Wednesday morning, suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol was taken into custody following a protracted standoff between his Presidential Security Service and more than a thousand police officers and anti-corruption officials.
Japan’s foreign minister also travelled to Seoul, speaking with his South Korean counterpart on Monday. The talks focused on deepening trilateral co-operation between Japan, South Korea, and the U.S., and “North Korea's nuclear and missile development.”
Trump’s return and the fate of Ukraine
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump pledged on the campaign trail to end the Russia-Ukraine war “in a day.” Zelenskyy welcomed the comments, stating in November that the conflict will “end sooner” with Trump in the White House.
Foreign ministers from the ‘Quad’ countries — Australia, Japan, India, and the U.S. — are scheduled to meet the day after Trump’s January 20 inauguration, likely a positive sign for the ‘minilateral’ grouping going forward. Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump’s pick for secretary of state, is expected to represent the U.S. in the meeting.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who spent last weekend at Mar-a-Lago, is set to attend Trump's inauguration.
