North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged unconditional support for Russia’s war in Ukraine during a visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday, further solidifying the growing military alliance between the two nations.
According to North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim expressed his continued backing for Moscow’s war effort, stating:
“Comrade Kim Jong Un once again expressed the readiness of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to continue unconditionally supporting all the measures of the Russian leadership to fundamentally resolve the situation in Ukraine, in the spirit of the interstate treaty between the DPRK and Russia.”
Lavrov arrived in North Korea on Friday, visiting the eastern port city of Wonsan, a location that symbolizes the increasing engagement between the two countries. His visit follows the signing of the Treaty of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership last year, which established formal military ties and saw North Korean troops deployed to assist Russian forces in Ukraine’s Kursk region.
In return, Russia offered its backing for North Korea amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula. KCNA reported:
“The Russian side, in connection with the situation on the Korean Peninsula, decisively spoke against attempts based on the abuse of discretion to deny the current status of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and expressed steadfast support for the DPRK’s fair efforts to protect its state security and sovereign rights.”
At a joint press conference with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, Lavrov also expressed understanding of North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons and emphasized Russia’s commitment to honoring their treaty obligations. He announced plans to erect a monument in memory of North Korean troops who were killed while fighting in the Kursk region alongside Russian forces.
The show of unity comes amid increased military exercises conducted by the United States, South Korea, and Japan in recent months—drills that included the temporary deployment of nuclear-capable American bombers to the region. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have condemned the exercises as provocations and a threat to regional stability.
Lavrov is expected to travel next to China for a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) ministerial summit, further cementing Russia’s diplomatic alignment in Asia.