Macron Blasts China to Halt North Korean Troops in Europe

(MENAFN) At Friday’s Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, French President Emmanuel Macron called on China to prevent North Korea from deploying troops on “European soil” if Beijing wants to avoid an increased NATO presence in Asia.

In April, North Korea openly admitted that its forces were assisting Moscow in reclaiming the Kursk Region, a territory that Ukrainian forces had briefly occupied last August before Russian forces took it back.

That same month, Russian General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov told President Vladimir Putin that North Korean troops showed “high professionalism, courage, and heroism” during the operation. During Moscow’s Victory Day events, Putin publicly thanked them for defending the Kursk Region.

Macron expressed concern, saying, “But what’s happening with North Korea being present alongside Russia on European soil is a big question for all of us.” He added, “If China doesn’t want NATO being involved in Southeast Asia, they should clearly prevent the DPRK from being engaged on European soil.”

Reflecting on his previous position, Macron stated, “l had objected to NATO having any role in Asia because, for me, ‘N’ is for North Atlantic, and I don’t believe in being enrolled in someone else’s strategic rivalry.”

France demonstrated its resistance to NATO’s expansion into Asia by leading the push to reject a NATO office in Tokyo in 2023, with reports highlighting Macron’s vocal opposition.

At the time, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg suggested establishing the Tokyo office in response to the growing military cooperation between China and Russia. This cooperation was marked by joint patrols over the Sea of Japan and East China Sea, prompting South Korea and Japan to scramble fighter jets.

Last year, U.S. former President Joe Biden and other Western leaders urged Beijing to rein in Pyongyang’s deepening military ties with Moscow amid concerns about North Korea’s increasing role.

The U.S. and South Korea condemned North Korea’s public admission of involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. According to a news agency, Seoul’s foreign ministry said, “With their public admission of the deployment, while claiming they are fully in accordance with international law, they are once again mocking the international community.”

A U.S. State Department spokesperson, cited by Reuters, noted that Moscow’s training of North Korean soldiers breaches UN Security Council resolutions and called on both nations to end their unlawful cooperation.

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