Doomsday Clock Ticks Closer as Zelenskyy Transfers North Korean POWs to South Korea
As the doomsday clock ticks closer amid the conflict, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced at the United Nations General Assembly that Ukraine has transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, while criticizing North Korea's military involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine and calling Russian President Vladimir Putin "patient zero" for spreading conflict. [3][5]
Zelenskyy's UN Address on North Korean Involvement
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in his address to the United Nations General Assembly that Ukraine recently sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea. [3] He noted that these soldiers are not easy to capture alive. [3] One of them, when he realized he was going to be taken prisoner, tried to kill himself and was shocked that fate did not let him die. [3][4] Zelenskyy criticized North Korea for using its citizens like currency to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine. [3] He added that countries across Asia have likely already noticed North Korea's enhanced ballistic missiles and significantly advanced drone capabilities. [3] Zelenskyy also called Russian President Vladimir Putin "patient zero" for spreading war in the region with Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. [5]
South Korea's Response and Regret Over Disclosure
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret that Ukraine disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, calling it a breach of a non-disclosure agreement. [2] Lee stated that the issue is a very sensitive matter that could immensely affect diplomacy and national security, as well as the security environment on the Korean Peninsula. [2] He noted that South Korea and Ukraine had agreed to a confidential transfer of the North Korean soldiers in consideration of the many problems expected if the transfer were disclosed. [2] Lee added that it would be cruel and irresponsible to disclose the transfer regardless of how it would affect inter-Korean ties or whether it could lead to someone's death or hamper national interests. [2] The Ukrainian presidential office said the transfer was carried out through direct dialogue with Seoul. [4] South Korea's foreign ministry said it has held talks with Ukraine based on its position to respect the free will of the two soldiers and resolve the issue in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles. [4]
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy speaks at the United Nations General Assembly. — Source: yonhap
Background on North Korean Troops in Russia's War
The two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in January 2025 after being deployed to Russia's Kursk region along with thousands of other North Korean troops in support of Moscow's war against Ukraine. [2][4] Ukrainian and South Korean estimates indicate North Korea has deployed approximately 15,000 soldiers to support Russia's war effort since 2024, primarily in the Kursk border region. [3] The two soldiers earlier expressed their desire to come to South Korea through a North Korean defector group in the South as well as through interviews. [4] South Korea and Ukraine had since been discussing their transfer. [2] President Lee Jae Myung and Zelenskyy agreed during their July summit in Ankara to handle North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine on humanitarian grounds while respecting their wishes. [4] This built on a prior agreement reached during the South Korea-Ukraine foreign ministers' meeting in March, where both nations pledged to cooperate on the POW issue under the same humanitarian framework. [3]
U.S. Diplomacy and Criticism of Dealmaking Approach
The diplomatic track spearheaded by Steve Witkoff has accommodated the pattern of Russian aggression. [1] Soon after taking office, the Trump Administration put an unconditional ceasefire on the table. [1] Ukraine accepted within 24 hours in March 2025. [1] Moscow rejected it then and every day since. [1] The aggressor state has answered every diplomatic overture with more wanton violence, raining missiles and killer drones on food storage facilities and passenger trains. [1] Jared Kushner has a theory of peace that war is a negative sum and everyone loses from it, with the goal to find the right formula that works for everyone. [1] This theory falls apart on contact with Russian drone operators hunting Ukrainian civilians for sport, in what UN monitors have termed a human safari. [1] Kushner and Witkoff are lifelong dealmakers, and when all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. [1] Dealmaking does more than miss the point. [1] It incentivizes and rewards predation. [1]
Zelenskyy announces transfer of two North Korean POWs to South Korea at UN General Assembly. — Source: aljazeera
Broader Implications for the Conflict
Zelenskyy asked world leaders to cut back on buying oil from Russia in a bid to put pressure on Moscow to resolve the conflict swiftly. [5] Kim Jong Un uses North Korean soldiers like currency and gets something in return from the alliance with Russia. [3] Russia under Putin has been invading its neighbors for nearly two decades, as aggression went unpunished and victims left to fend for themselves. [1] Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014. [1] By July 2021, Putin laid out his genocidal intentions in a 5,000-word essay, and seven months later came the full-scale invasion. [1] According to British intelligence, Russia suffered 1.5 million casualties, half a million dead. [1] The vast majority of the losses were incurred after January 2023 in exchange for 2% of Ukraine's territory. [1] Putin says he wants all of Donbas. [1] The primary aim of Moscow's war on Ukraine is the survival of the Russian Federation itself and the Kremlin's grip on the internal colonies that make it up. [1] Reagan's doctrine of strength and moral clarity worked on Moscow. [1]
Doomsday Clock and Global Diplomatic Efforts
Attempts to sacrifice Ukraine on the altar of peace-through-weakness have had the opposite effect, costing America its reputation as a trustworthy, serious world power and Ukraine its bravest sons and daughters. [1] This compulsive dealmaking will not put an end to Russian warmaking. [1] To a Moscow-centered predatory empire, accommodation is encouragement. [1] The Senate passed a measure 86-11 and the House 262-159 with tariffs of up to 100% on the largest buyers of Russian oil and gas. [1] It will matter only if Trump swings it. [1] The law also exposes a dissonance at the heart of American policy. [1]
What to watch next is whether the United States will apply the new sanctions law on Russian oil buyers while Moscow continues to reject ceasefire proposals and expand weapons development ties with partners.
