North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised Russia’s top diplomat that his country would “unconditionally support” Russia’s war on Ukraine and preferred method of solving the conflict, according to state media.
The two nations touted their military partnership during Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s three-day trip to North Korea, which is set to expand on the mutual defense pact Kim signed with his Moscow counterpart Vladimir Putin last year.
“Kim Jong Un reaffirmed the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) 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,” state-controlled outlet KCNA reported.
Putin has repeatedly stated the “root cause” is alleged anti-Russian fervor in Ukraine, with the Kremlin demanding that Ukraine demilitarize, remove President Volodymyr Zelensky from office and abandon all desires to join NATO.
Ukraine has slammed the demands as non-starters, accusing Moscow of wanting to further weaken Kyiv for another invasion down the line.
Lavrov celebrated the “invincible fighting brotherhood” with North Korea as he thanked Kim for deploying more than 12,000 troops to fight against Ukraine, according to Russian media.
Pyongyang’s wave of soldiers, most of whom were inexperienced in modern warfare, help Russia retake the Kursk region following Ukraine’s surprise counter-invasion last summer, which had left Putin humiliated.
Along with the troops, North Korea has shipped millions of rounds of artillery ammunition to Moscow, South Korean intelligence indicates, with warnings that Pyongyang was set to send 30,000 more troops to aid in the war effort.
During the meeting with Lavrov, Kim’s government also pledged to send about 6,000 military engineers and buildings to help reconstruction efforts in Kursk.
In exchange for the North Korean troops, about 600 of whom have died so far with thousands more wounded, Moscow has sent waves of military equipment and knowledge to Pyongyang, western officials warned.
Following the meeting with Lavrov, North Korea’s Defense Minister boasted that his army stood ready to take action to counter any security threat, a direct warning to South Korea, Japan and the US.
The statement referenced a joint military exercise Friday that saw the three nations deploy fighter jets, including an American B-52 strategic bomber, near South Korea.
With Post wires