Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that Kiev is ready to hand over North Korean troops to their leader Kim Jong Un in exchange for the return of Ukrainians held captive in Russia.
“In addition to the previously captured North Korean soldiers, there will undoubtedly be more soldiers. It is only a matter of time before our troops succeed in capturing others,” Zelensky wrote on social media.
The Ukrainian president shared a video depicting the interrogation of two North Korean POWs.
In the video, one prisoner is lying on a cot, while the other is sitting on the bed with a bandage wrapped around his jaw.
Zelensky said there may be other options available for North Korean soldiers who do not want to return and “those who express their desire to bring peace by spreading the truth about this war in the Korean (language) will be given that opportunity.” ” ,
North Korean soldiers in Ukraine
On Saturday, Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had captured two wounded North Korean soldiers in the Russian border area of Kursk.
It is the first time Kiev has announced the capture of North Korean soldiers alive after Pyongyang sent troops to support Russia in its war with Ukraine.
Zelensky said the detainees were receiving “necessary medical assistance” and were in the custody of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Kiev.
North Korea is believed to have sent about 12,000 troops to Russia to support its war in Ukraine.
Last month, South Korea said that 1,000 North Koreans had been killed in the war.
Zelensky said the media would also be given access to prisoners. “The world needs to know the truth about what’s happening,” he said.
ES/LO (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
