South Korea’s leading conservative presidential candidate suggested on Sunday that North Korea may take advantage of the U.S. focus on Ukraine to conduct “strategic provocations.”

Yoon Suk-yeol’s remarks were the first time that a leading presidential candidate in the upcoming March 9 election attempted to link North Korea with the crisis in Eastern Europe.

“Above all, while the U.S. is focusing on Europe, there is a possibility that North Korea will conduct strategic provovations such as ballistic missile tests, as well as local provocations near the border,” Yoon wrote on his Facebook