Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday called on North Korea to withdraw troops from Russia after its forces were spotted wearing Kremlin uniforms and carrying Russian equipment en route to the Kursk border region.

Speaking at the Pentagon alongside South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, Austin called the deployment “dangerous and destabilizing” and said he was increasingly concerned that Moscow plans to use North Korean soldiers to to support its fight near the border with Ukraine.

He and Kim have called on Pyongyang to withdraw its troops, which Austin said has the potential to prolong or expand the conflict.

The US rated this week at least 10,000 North Koreans were in Russiawith some already in Kursk, while South Korea put the number at 11,000.

Austin would not speculate on when North Korean soldiers might enter the conflict, saying it is something the US and its allies will continue to monitor and work “to deter Russia from committing these troops into combat.”

Meanwhile, Kim said there was a “high chance” North Korea would seek nuclear technology and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) from Russia in exchange for deploying its troops.

“North Korea is very likely to request technology transfers in various areas, including technologies related to tactical nuclear weapons, technologies related to their advancement in ICBMs, also those related to reconnaissance satellites and those related to (submarine technology) as well Kim said through a translator.

While Kim has said he does not necessarily believe the deployment of North Korean troops will cause war to break out on the Korean Peninsula, any changed Kremlin weapons technology could escalate security threats between the two neighbors.

The expanding relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang has worried the US and its allies, as the West fears it could prolong the conflict in Europe and destabilize the Indo-Pacific region.

Austin suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s use of the North Koreans “highlights how much trouble they are in” after suffering massive casualties in more than two years of fighting.

The Pentagon chief is expected to continue talks on Russia and North Korea on Thursday, when he and Kim are scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul at the State Department.

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