ANKARA

The alleged recent deployment of North Korean troops in Russia is “a grave escalation,” the French president said Tuesday, vowing to continue to support Ukraine in the ongoing conflict.

Support for Ukraine must remain an "absolute priority," Emmanuel Macron said at a joint press conference following his meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Paris.

“The recent North Korean deployment on the front line is a grave escalation, and we will continue to plead that NATO and its allies continue to give all their support to the Ukrainian army as long as it takes,” Macron added.

He described this as the “only way to the negotiations.”

The president also emphasized the need for Europe to take responsibility for its own security, as well as the need to “build the European pillar of the transatlantic security.”

“Europe has too long avoided carrying the burden of its own security,” he said, boasting France’s contributions to security expenses and pledges to spend more.

The French president added that this “European agenda of strategic autonomy” requires more investment and cooperation in terms of industry and innovation.

Russian, North Korean missiles ‘dire threat’ for Europe, US

Mark Rutte, for his part, said that “France's nuclear capabilities contribute to the overall security of the alliance.”

He claimed that, in exchange for North Korea's military support, "Russia provides North Korea with funding and missile technology." In this context, Rutte chastised Iran and China for their support of Russia.

“This is very concerning,” Rutte said, adding: “These missiles pose a dire threat to the United States… to Europe, to the Indo-Pacific, and to the wider Euro-Atlantic, and when I say the Indo-Pacific that includes South Korea and Japan.”

Rutte called on Europe, North America, and global partners to “stand together.”

"We will discuss the importance of keeping up the support as Ukrainians prepare to face what could be their harshest winter since 2022,” he stressed. “We must recommit to stay in the course for the long haul, and we must do more than just keep Ukraine in the fight."