Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the US Secretary of State that 8,000 North Korean soldiers will join the frontline in Ukraine in the coming days; and how is this affecting the level of support granted by the UK to Ukraine.

We should all be concerned about the implications of deepening Russia-DPRK military cooperation for Europe, the Korean Peninsula, the Indo-Pacific region, and the wider world. Our Defence Intelligence has confirmed that 10,000 North Korean troops have arrived in Russia, with a significant proportion heading to fight for Putin in Kursk. A DPRK with improved military technology and enhanced capacity to export weapons could fuel instability in vulnerable conflict areas around the world. Together with our partners, we are closely monitoring the situation and its implications. The UK's support for Ukraine is ironclad. The UK has provided £12.8 billion in military, humanitarian and economic support to Ukraine since 2022.