North Korean leader Kim Jong Un offered Moscow his "unconditional support" on all actions taken to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, according to Pyongyang state media reports. The North Korean leader met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the newly built beach resort in Wonsan.
North Korea Reaffirms Its 'Unconditional Support' To Russia In Ukraine Conflict
In talks with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Kim Jong Un backed Moscow’s actions in Ukraine and said North Korea would provide military and engineering support.
Reuters cited the North Korean news agency, KCNA, stating, “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."
This was the second meeting between the two countries since their mutual defence partnership treaty last year. Kim told Lavrov the steps taken by the allies in response to radically evolving global geopolitics will contribute greatly to securing peace and security around the world, North Korea's state news agency KCNA reported.
According to the BBC, Western officials believe an estimated 11,000 soldiers were sent last year by Pyongyang to assist Russia. Pyongyang is set to deploy an additional 25,000 to 30,000 soldiers to assist Moscow’s scaled-up assault on Ukraine. Kim's government has pledged to send about 6,000 military engineers and builders to help reconstruction work in Russia's Kursk region, Reuters reports.
Kim Jong Un expressed a "firm belief that the Russian army and people would surely win victory in accomplishing the sacred cause of defending the dignity and basic interests of the country".
In his trip, Lavrov also met the North Korean Foreign Affairs Minister Choe Son Hui, as stated by Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Telegram. The Russian TASS reported Lavrov saying, “We exchanged views on the situation surrounding the Ukrainian crisis. Our Korean friends confirmed their firm support for all the objectives of the special military operation, as well as for the actions of the Russian leadership and armed forces.”
This move by Russia and North Korea comes days after US President Donald Trump resumed their military supplies to Ukraine and expressed his disappointment with Russian President Putin, stating, “ We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin,” to the press.
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