NATO chief Mark Rutte said Thursday North Korea's involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine posed a direct threat to the United States -- in a first pitch to convince Donald Trump to keep backing Kyiv.

The strengthening ties between Russia and North Korea are not only a threat to European security, but also for the United States, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said

Rutte sounded the alarm over Moscow’s growing reliance on its “authoritarian friends” — North Korea, Iran and China — and warned that Pyongyang’s involvement in the war could mark the start of a “far darker” phase of the prolonged conflict.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the latest developments in the Ukraine war should convince Donald Trump to engage with the alliance.