Russia and North Korea are seeking to deepen their military and strategic partnership, with Moscow saying the two countries are working towards a “new and righteous world order”.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Moscow and Pyongyang are working to build a “new and righteous world order”, highlighting the deepening military and strategic partnership between the two countries.
Lavrov made the remarks in a message to North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, according to North Korea’s state-run KCNA news agency on Tuesday. He also reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to expanding cooperation with North Korea across various fields and contributing to regional and international security.
Lavrov praises North Korea’s role in Kursk
Lavrov pointed to the involvement of North Korean troops in Russia’s military operations in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched a major incursion last year.
“The participation of service personnel of the Korean People’s Army in the operations to drive the Ukrainian Nazi clique and foreign mercenaries out of Kursk is a clear proof of the tradition of the militant friendship forged by the heroic preceding generations,” KCNA quoted Lavrov as saying.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is estimated to have deployed around 14,000 troops to Russia in late 2024 to assist Moscow in pushing Ukrainian forces out of Kursk. Russian President Vladimir Putin declared victory in the region in May 2025 and publicly thanked Pyongyang for its support.
More from WorldMoscow, Pyongyang seek ‘righteous world order’
Lavrov said Russia and North Korea were continuing efforts to establish a “new and righteous world order” based on genuine equality and national interests.
The comments underscore the increasingly close relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang, particularly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia has repeatedly described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government as “Nazis”. Zelenskyy, who is Jewish, and his Western allies have rejected the claim as baseless.
Concerns over Russia-North Korea military cooperation
The growing Russia-North Korea partnership has raised concerns in South Korea and Western countries over potential technology transfers and weapons cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
North Korea has supplied Russia with millions of artillery and mortar shells, ballistic missiles, long-range artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems, according to Ukrainian and independent assessments.
Earlier this month, Zelenskyy claimed that as many as 50,000 North Korean troops could be deployed to Russia in a fresh move aimed at increasing military pressure on Ukraine.