Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised North Korea’s support against Ukrainian forces, particularly in the Russian region of Kursk, during an official visit to North Korea.
Moscow and Pyongyang have strengthened their military cooperation in recent years, with North Korea providing weapons and troops to back Russia’s assault on Ukraine.
Lavrov stated that North Korean officials “reaffirmed their unconditional support for all goals” of the assault in Ukraine, according to the Russian state agency Tass.
He spoke after meeting with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son-hui in Wonsan, on the coast of the Sea of Japan, where a tourist area was opened by North Korean authorities in late June.
Lavrov thanked the “heroic” North Korean soldiers who assisted the Russian army in repelling Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region, which they had entered in August 2024, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Moscow claimed to have expelled Ukrainian troops from the area in April and had already thanked North Korean soldiers at that time, acknowledging their involvement in the conflict for the first time.
When asked about the possibility of deploying North Korean troops to other parts of the front, Lavrov said it was up to Pyongyang to decide, as reported by Tass.
“We assume that the DPRK determines itself how we implement our strategic partnership agreement,” he said, using the country’s official name.
Lavrov’s visit follows that of the Russian Security Council Secretary, Sergey Shoigu, to Pyongyang one and a half months ago.
The two countries signed a mutual defence agreement during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea last year.
