International

The United States confirms that North Korea has sent soldiers to Russia to fight in Ukraine

The United States Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III, has confirmed that North Korea has sent troops to Russia to join the Russian forces fighting in the war with Ukraine, US media reported on Wednesday.

In statements made on a visit to a military base in Italy, Austin described North Korea’s presence in Russia as a “very serious” escalation that would have consequences in both Europe and Asia.

“What exactly are they doing?” Austin told journalists at a military base in Italy. “It’s to be seen.”

The Secretary of Defense did not give details about the number of troops that are already there or the number expected to arrive, but its confirmation comes after US intelligence officials have announced that they are preparing to publish a large amount of information, including satellite photographs, showing troop ships moving from North Korea to training areas in Vladivostok, on the east coast of Russia, and other Russian territories further north.

Seoul believes that there are already 3,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia

According to US officials, so far the North Korean soldiers have not arrived in Ukraine.

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However, the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) estimates that Pyongyang has already sent about 3,000 soldiers to Russian territory, where they are theoretically preparing to be transferred to the front in Ukraine.

This information, which has been shared with members of the Parliamentary Intelligence Committee, indicates that about 10,000 soldiers could be deployed in Ukraine by December, without offering more information about it.

Already on Friday, the NIS itself revealed that it foresaw the sending of about 12,000 troops, including a unit of the Special Forces, a figure that is close to what Kiev also said.

Of the total number of troops, about 1,500 troops would already be in bases in the Russian Far East, receiving instruction, in addition to weapons, uniforms and Russian identity cards.

South Korean intelligence considers that after the first transport of those 1,500 soldiers, which took place between October 8 and 13, new transfers have been made that have practically doubled the number of North Korean troops on Russian soil.

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One of the parliamentarians of the committee who was informed by the director of the NIS himself has assured that “he provided fairly well-founded information indicating that about 10,000 men will be deployed” for the month of December in Ukraine, according to statements collected by the Yonhap agency.

Partnership agreement between Moscow and Pyongyang

This information has been labeled as “hoaxes by Moscow and “absurd comments” by Pyongyang.

South Korea considers, like many experts, that the sending of troops is based on the strategic partnership pact that Pyongyang and Moscow signed in June and that urges mutual assistance in the event that one of the two countries is attacked, a scenario that would have opened up after Ukraine’s incursions in the Russian regions of Belgorod and Kursk.

International

Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.

The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.

The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).

“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.

Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”

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International

Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.

Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.

A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”

According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.

International

Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.

Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.

“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.

“That is why we aim to become a global power—so much so that they would prefer to be Argentine, making deterrence or persuasion unnecessary. This is why we have embarked on a path of liberation, working to make Argentina the freest country in the world and once again the nation with the highest GDP per capita on the planet,” he added.