By turning to North Korea for military force, Putin is showing the world another clear sign of weakness, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.

Austin said at a press conference with his South Korean counterpart, the U.S. Secretary of State and South Korea’s foreign minister in Washington, that by turning to North Korea for manpower, Putin is showing the world another clear sign of weakness. According to him, the Kremlin’s North Korean gambit only underscores how badly Putin’s war is going and how much trouble he is in.

According to the head of the Pentagon, the United States is closely consulting with allies, partners and other countries in the region regarding the events with the DPRK and their response.

Austin emphasized that, at the direction of the president, the United States will continue to increase security assistance to Ukraine, as will their allies and partners in the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine (the Ramstein format).