The U.S. and South Korea confirmed that North Korean forces have entered combat against Ukraine in Russia’s Kursk region, leading a chorus of voices expressing concern over growing military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow.

“We see now the introduction of North Korean forces into the fight,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after talks with NATO chief Mark Rutte on Wednesday, promising a “firm response from the Alliance.”

Washington’s top diplomat called the DPRK deployment a “profound and incredibly dangerous development” and a cause of “deep concern to everyone around the NATO table.”

North Korea’s involvement is “adding fuel