HAMILTON, Canada

The US on Monday expressed concern over North Korea's military deployment to Russia, warning that countries supporting Moscow's war on Ukraine bear responsibility for prolonging the conflict.

"Third countries, like the DPRK, that have perpetuated the Russia-Ukraine war bear responsibility," US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told Anadolu in a statement, using the acronym for the country’s official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"We continue to be concerned by the DPRK’s direct involvement in the war.  The DPRK’s military deployment to Russia and any support provided by the Russian Federation to the DPRK in return must end," she said.

Bruce said Russia's training of North Korean soldiers is in direct violation of several UN Security Council resolutions, which "collectively impose a broad prohibition on providing or receiving military training or assistance to or from the DPRK."

The US has repeatedly expressed concern over increasing military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, warning it could undermine international efforts to curb North Korea's weapons programs and further escalate the conflict in Ukraine.

On Saturday, Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov declared that Russia retook control of the border region of Kursk, while also thanking North Korean soldiers who participated in military actions in the region in what was the first official confirmation of Pyongyang’s involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war, which began in February 2022.

*Iclal Turan in Washington contributed to the story