Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday (Image: AP)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has affirmed Pyongyang’s “unconditional support” for all actions taken by Russia in its war on Ukraine. Kim asserted that Pyongyang and Moscow share identical views on “all strategic issues in conformity with the level of alliance,” according to North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency.
“Kim Jong-Un reaffirmed the DPRK is ready to unconditionally support and encourage all the measures taken by the Russian leadership as regards the tackling of the root cause of the Ukrainian crisis,” KCNA said.
This came as Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov arrived in North Korea on a three-day visit. Russia’s foreign minister conveyed greetings from President Vladimir Putin and, at the same time, warned the US, South Korea, and Japan against forming a security partnership targeting North Korea.
Speaking with reporters after a meeting with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son Hui, Lavrov accused the US, South Korea, and Japan of what he called “military buildups” around North Korea and described the relationship between North Korea and Russia as “invincible fighting brotherhood,” agencies reported.
“We warn against exploiting these ties to build alliances directed against anyone, including North Korea and, of course, Russia,” he said, according to Russia’s state Tass news agency.
Lavrov also called for the two countries to further strengthen their “strategic and tactical cooperation and intensify concerted action” in international affairs, KCNA reported.
Kim Jong-Un Breaks Down While Honouring Fallen Soldiers Of Russia War
Days ago, North Korea’s Supreme Leader was left teary-eyed at an event in Pyongyang after he honoured the soldiers killed fighting for Russia. Images released by the North Korean media showed leader Kim Jong-un mourning over flag-draped coffins of North Korean soldiers killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
According to reports, Kim attended an event to mark the first anniversary of the signing of a new treaty between North Korea and Russia, known as the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty.
The nuclear-armed North has emerged as one of Russia’s key allies since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, sending thousands of troops and shipments of weapons to bolster the Kremlin’s efforts to drive Ukrainian forces from the Kursk border region, AFP reported. Around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded while fighting for Russia, according to South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun, who cited intelligence from Seoul’s spy agency.
(With agency inputs)