Ukraine updates: Germany's Baerbock pledges more aid in Kyiv

Some 11,000 North Korean soldiers have arrived in the Russian border area of Kursk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

"We see an increase in the number of North Koreans, but we see no increase in the response of our partners. Unfortunately," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.

He said the information was based on findings from Ukraine's intelligence services.

It remains unclear whether the North Korean soldiers will be deployed to fight against Ukrainian troops.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon said that the number of North Korean troops in Kursk had risen by about 2,000, bringing the total in the region to around 10,000.

Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said that the total number of North Korean forces in Russia "could be closer to around 11 to 12,000."

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced an additional €200 million (roughly $218 million) to help Ukrainians during their third winter of war, amid continued Russian attacks on infrastructure. 

The money will be used so that homes close to the front line without energy supplies can also receive fuel and "Ukrainians can be provided with essentials such as blankets or warm winter coats to protect them from freezing temperatures," she said at a meeting with her Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, in Kyiv. 

The additional humanitarian aid is not for the energy sector, but for emergency winter relief for the population, such as solid fuel for homes near the front line, insulation, winter clothing, blankets and cash assistance. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin is now seeking military assistance from North Korea and is redoubling his efforts in eastern Ukraine, Baerbock said. He is deliberately targeting lifelines across the country, bombing power plants and destroying power lines in what she called a perfidious strategy.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said he had discussed with Baerbock the "need for decisive action" in response to North Korean involvement in the war in Ukraine.

"We urge Europe to realize that the DPRK troops are now carrying out an aggressive war in Europe against a sovereign European state," he told a briefing after meeting with Baerbock in Kyiv.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has been briefed on the use of German-supplied Gepard anti-aircraft tanks during a visit to Ukraine. 

Ukrainian soldiers told her that on Friday of last week, they had shot down three Russian drones in the greater Kyiv area. They also asked Baerbock for more support in the form of ammunition. 

The Gepard tanks are considered particularly effective in repelling drone attacks. So far, Germany has supplied Ukraine with 55 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks, including spare parts, and 176,000 pieces of anti-aircraft ammunition from Bundeswehr and industrial stocks. 

Afterwards, the German minister was shown an energy plant near Kyiv that had been hit several times by Russian missiles but was still producing electricity.

Baerbock said Germany was helping counter the "brutality" of Russia's campaign with "humanity and support — so that the Ukrainians not only survive the winter, but their country can survive."

Germany, Ukraine's second-largest aid donor after the United States, has pledged €170 million ($185 million) in emergency aid to help the country get through the winter.

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has held talks with South Korean officials amid growing concern in Seoul over the deployment of North Korean troops to help Russia in its war with Ukraine.

Borrell said on social media platform X that he discussed "common security challenges" with Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun in Seoul and encouraged South Korea to step up its support for Ukraine.

"Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is an existential threat. The Republic of Korea is best positioned to understand it," he wrote. "We are united in our support to Ukraine. I encouraged them to step it up."

According to a statement from the South Korean Defense Ministry, Kim Yong Hyun and Josep Borrell expressed "serious concerns" about North Korea's reported troop dispatch and "strongly condemned" it.

Borrell also met South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, and they condemned North Korea's "unlawful arms transfers to the Russian Federation for its use in attacking Ukraine." The diplomats demanded an end to the "unlawful military cooperation" and a withdrawal of the North Korean forces.

South Korea has provided nonlethal aid to Ukraine, including mine-clearing equipment, but has so far resisted Kyiv's requests for weapons.

Washington expects North Korean troops in Russia's Kursk region to join the fight against Ukraine in the coming days, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Moldova's incumbent, Maia Sandu, who won a tense presidential runoff this weekend, beating her rival, who was backed by a pro-Russia party.

"Moldovans have made a clear choice — they chose a path toward economic growth and social stability," Zelenskyy wrote on X.

The election in the ex-Soviet republic, sandwiched between war-torn Ukraine and the European Union, has been overshadowed by accusations of interference from Moscow.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, both Chisinau and Kyiv applied for their countries to join the European Union. 

"Only true security and a peaceful, united Europe can guarantee each person and every family the confidence to face tomorrow with hope and certainty," Zelenskyy added, vowing to strengthen ties.

In a show of support for Ukraine, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Kyiv for a visit th-at had not been previously announced because of security reasons. 

Baerbock assured Ukraine of Germany's support in the face of the impending third winter of war and the continued Russian attacks on infrastructure. 

"Germany, together with many partners around the world, stands firmly by Ukraine's side," Baerbock said. "We will support the Ukrainians as long as they need us, so that they can follow their path to a just peace." 

This is Baerbock's eighth trip to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022. It comes amid news of the arrival of North Korean troops in Russia for use in the war against Ukraine, and one day before the US presidential election.

The outcome of the US presidential election is especially important for Ukraine, as contender Donald Trump has vowed to cut off aid to the Ukrainian government if he returns to the White House. This scenario would mean that Germany and other European countries would take on more of the responsibility of helping Ukraine as it fends of Russia's invasion.   

dh/wd (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa)