Soldiers sent by Pyongyang have moved into Russia’s Kursk region, an area along the Russia-Ukraine border where Ukrainian forces staged a surprise incursion in August, according to Ukrainian intelligence.
Kyiv says that roughly 12,000 North Korean troops are in Russia, a far greater number than reported by the US, though it remains unclear precisely how many have entered what Ukraine referred to as the “combat zone.” Ukraine, its Western allies, and South Korea have all expressed concerns that North Korean troops will begin fighting alongside Russian forces.
As Pyongyang and Moscow bolster ties, Seoul is worried Russia could reward North Korea – which has supplied ballistic missiles and ammunition rounds to Russia for its war in Ukraine – with advanced weapons and technology that could threaten South Korea’s national security. In response, the South Korean government has warned that it could provide Kyiv with arms.
Though Russia pushed back on previous reports of North Korean troops within its borders, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday didn’t deny their presence.
We’ll be watching to see if North Korean troops engage Ukrainian forces in the days ahead.
People in support of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol rally near Seoul Central District Court in Seoul on Feb. 19, 2026. The court sentenced him to life imprisonment the same day for leading an insurrection with his short-lived declaration of martial law in December 2024.
65: The age of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday after being found guilty of plotting an insurrection when he declared martial law in 2024.
In an era when geopolitics can feel overwhelming and remote, sometimes the best messengers are made of felt and foam.
The Hungarian election is off to the races, and nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is facing his most serious challenger in 16 years.
Does skepticism rule the day in politics? Public opinion data collected as part of the Munich Security Conference’s annual report found that large shares of respondents in G7 and several BRICS countries believed their governments’ policies would leave future generations worse off.