Zelenskyy ready to hand North Korean POWs to Pyongyang

"For those North Korean soldiers who do not wish to return, there may be other options available," said Zelenskyy.

I would expect that they don’t want to go back, and that Dear Leader doesn’t want them either.

UnderworldToday 06:35 am JST

"For those North Korean soldiers who do not wish to return, there may be other options available," said Zelenskyy.

I would expect that they don’t want to go back, and that Dear Leader doesn’t want them either.

Well he wants them so he can try out his anti-aircraft guns.

Nice gesture by President Zelenskyy.

But it will (and should) fail.

If Kim accepts the offer, those two will disappear in NK, used for target practice or fed to the dogs.

Due to losses among its forces, North Korea is preparing for additional deployment to Ukraine

A factual error by the AFP.

The alleged deployment was to Kursk, which is internationally recognized Russian territory.

The only reason these men are in Ukraine now is because they were kidnapped by Ukrainian gunmen who were in Russia in violation of international law shooting people.

There has been no deployment of NK soldiers to Ukraine.

I would expect that they don’t want to go back, and that Dear Leader doesn’t want them either.

I suspect NK is using the soldiers’ families as a deterrent to them defecting. That’s the usual trick.

Moriah,

"The only reason these men are in Ukraine now is because they were kidnapped by Ukrainian gunmen who were in Russia in violation of international law shooting people. There has been no deployment of NK soldiers to Ukraine."

Against all facts? Let me quote TokyoLiving: "Nice try comedian.. Nice try.."

In translated comments, one of the men says he wants to return to North Korea. The other says he will do what he is told but, if given the chance, wants to live in Ukraine.

If they go back they will most likely be killed or tortured or even their family members would most likely get punished. It might have been Kim's idea to have the Russian allies burn the deceased North Korean troops to hide their presence in the war. People really don't know how ruthless and brutal dictators can be. The South Korean military structure is rough but the North Korean one is filled with monsters who follow orders out of fear

In a post on X Sunday, Zelenskyy said: "Ukraine is ready to hand over Kim Jong Un's soldiers to him if he can organize their exchange for our warriors who are being held captive in Russia."

There would "undoubtedly be more" North Korean soldiers captured by Kyiv, he added.

"For those North Korean soldiers who do not wish to return, there may be other options available," said Zelenskyy.

"In particular, those who express a desire to bring peace closer by spreading the truth about this war in Korean will be given that opportunity."

Bargaining chips. Zelenskyy can now use a leverage. If more Norks get captured, it'll only show further what a failure this war is for Putin. He thought it'd be so fast and easy like Kazakhstan was. That was just one week, remember?

And of course, these NK soldiers are certainly not volunteers. If they choose to stay in Ukraine, I wouldn't blame them. After all, what do they have to lose now?

I could believe this North Korea stuff if a neutral party did the assessment which of course will never happen. Until then my believe is that it could be true. It could also be a load of BS.

If you repeat that there are 11,000 NK troops in Kursk 11,000 times does that make it true?

The two captives in question do not look Korean and on the Ukrainian Telegram video where they showed them making a call to NK they magically omitted the voice.

So, Zelensky intends to use the North Koreans as bargaining chips?

Why would the soldiers wish to return to North Korea?

Even remaining in Ukraine would be a better choice.

If you repeat that there are 11,000 NK troops in Kursk 11,000 times does that make it true?

The two captives in question do not look Korean and on the Ukrainian Telegram video where they showed them making a call to NK they magically omitted the voice.

Ah yes and remind me how is it that Russia is trying to say they are invading Ukraine out of self defense? There are 2 sides to every story. The side that tells the truth and facts no matter how painful it is and the side that bends the narrative and deflects so they never look bad, it would literally kill them to own up to a mistake

The two captives in question do not look Korean

And this is not a war. It’s a very “special military operation”.

In the crazed world of the criminal Kim Dynasty, being captured by a foreign army is likely considered shameful/dishonourable to the nation. I pity these POWs when they do return to NK. They probably won't exactly be treated as returning "heroes".

Kurisupisu -

Why would the soldiers wish to return to North Korea?

Even remaining in Ukraine would be a better choice.

You think POWs get a choice in it? They've been attempting to kill Ukrainians - why on earth would Ukraine even entertain keeping them?

They should not reveal the names of these two captured North Koreans POW at least if they don't wish to return their country their families will not suffer retribution by Kim Jung Fat and put them in concentration camp.

MoriahToday 07:15 am JST

The only reason these men are in Ukraine now is because they were kidnapped by Ukrainian gunmen who were in Russia in violation of international law shooting people.

I don't believe there is any law that says you can't take the war to the aggressor.

Fos

take the war to the aggressor.

Totally agree with you on this one. As we all know the White House played a key role in generating and perpetuating this terrible conflict in Ukraine.

No, it didn’t.

 Ken

And don’t forget the side, the US military industrial complex, which shipped over $100 billions of lethal weapons to Ukraine since the start of the war against Russia, forcing most of the European countries to increase their share of GDP to buy American weapons (and then you wonder why Wall Street rose to records), not to mention the stellar deal with LNG gas coming from Texas (three times the prize of Russia) and highly polluting for the environment. But let’s stop right there. We need to get ready to spin another story for the good guy Zelensky. And the US futures are about to start negotiations :)

There's a clause in a Geneva Convention that specifically states that POWs can not be used for propaganda purposes or made a spectacle of in public or the media.

Parading these men, who were in Russia legally and now in Ukraine against their will, in this media circus is a violation of the Geneva convention.

Unless it’s a POW exchange of some kind (tit for tat), isn’t there a strong possibility that they’ll be put right back in the field again?

Fos,

fact is this here:

"To date, we have provided $65.9 billion in military assistance since Russia launched its premeditated, unprovoked, and brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022."

Likely to be killed for getting caught

Unless it’s a POW exchange of some kind (tit for tat), isn’t there a strong possibility that they’ll be put right back in the field again?

This is probably a meaningless statement by Zelensky just to support the narrative that they captured NK soldiers. They'll never make it to NK.

 don't believe there is any law that says you can't take the war to the aggressor.

That's what Russia has been doing.

Wick's pencil

 don't believe there is any law that says you can't take the war to the aggressor.

That's what Russia has been doing.

Russia is the aggressor.

ok1517

To date, we have provided $65.9 billion in military assistance since Russia

Thank you for allowing me to elaborate. 

Based on the Council on Foreign Relations (certainly not Russian propaganda), since the war began, the U.S. Congress has voted numerous bills that have provided Ukraine with ongoing aid. Up the mid 2024 US Congress bills appropriated $175 billions, and while $106 billion directly aids the government of Ukraine, most of the remainder is funding various U.S. activities associated with the war in Ukraine, and a small portion supports other affected countries in the region.

Hence the remarkable comment of ex Nato chief Stoltenberg that “sending weapons to Ukraine helps the US economy by creating jobs”.

Looking back over the last several decades, aid to Ukraine also ranks among the largest relative to the size of the U.S. economy at the time, second to Israel aid in FY 1979 (go figure).

Let’s not forget that the top 5 arms-producing and military services companies in the world are all American, (Sipri database), in order:

Lockheed Martin (USA)

Raytheon Technologies (USA)

Northrop Grumman (USA)

Boeing (USA)

General Dynamics (USA)

Fos,

agreed (in some parts at least).

"To date, we have provided $65.9 billion in military assistance since Russia launched its premeditated, unprovoked, and brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and approximately $69.2 billion in military assistance since Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014."

But as you stated yourself, quite some of that money goes back to US companies.

And let me ask you one more question: how much is 1 human life worth?

That support received by Ukraine will protect innocent lives!

ok1517

> how much is 1 human life worth? That support received by Ukraine will protect innocent lives!

One human life is worth more than any money spent on this terrible conflict, or the billion dollars earned in Wall Street. And NOT, the alleged deterrence used in this contest did not serve as shield to protect human lives, made things worse.

An observation valid also in the Middle East if you look at what is going on based on credible sources (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)02678-3/fulltext)

The war in Ukraine reveals an unbelievable hypocrisy: regional or global powers act based on balances of power and not on motives that have to do with morals and ethics.

We need to look back at the history of the Nato enlargement here, the Minsk agreements and so on, leave the propaganda out, allow a reliable narration of chronicles. 

What is clear from the beginning is that Russia could not have the US nuclear missiles bases in Ukraine, same as Washington would not allow Moscow to hold military equipment in Canada. It is a very elementary principle of satellite countries and big empires. 

Read the inside story of Russia and Ukraine’s ‘peace’ talks as told by David Arakhamia, leader of the Ukrainian political party Servant of the People. Again not Russia propaganda:

https://www.newsweek.com/russia-offered-end-war-if-ukraine-dropped-nato-bid-kyiv-official-184737

I guess we need to thank the likes of Anthony Blinken and Boris Johnson, who told Ukraine not to take the early peace deal Russia offered straight after the start of the hostilities. 

But then again, that is just one opinion in a sea of thousands

I guess we need to thank the likes of Anthony Blinken and Boris Johnson, who told Ukraine not to take the early peace deal Russia offered straight after the start of the hostilities.

Predictable Kremlin stuff. They 'told' him nothing of the sort.

Why didn't Zelensky 'tell' Blinken and Johnson that he was accepting the deal? How did they compel him not to?