Kim Jong Un pledges to 'unconditionally' support Russia's war against Ukraine
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his nation would "unconditionally" support Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on July 12.
Lavrov met with Kim in the eastern city of Wonsan during a three-day visit to North Korea .
Kim told Lavrov that his country stands "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," North Korea's state news agency reported.
The meeting took place in "an atmosphere full of warm comradely trust," the agency said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Kremlin officials have frequently referred to the so-called "root causes" of the war as a justification for their maximalist territorial ambitions in Ukraine and for continuing to reject international calls for a ceasefire.
Russia and North Korea have intensified their military alliance over the course of the war. Pyongyang has supplied troops and weapons to Moscow, reportedly in exchange for economic, military, and technological assistance. The two countries signed a defense treaty in June 2024.
North Korea, which sent around 11,000 soldiers to Russia's Kursk Oblast last year to help fend off a Ukrainian incursion, is now preparing to set an additional 25,000-30,000 soldiers to join Russian forces, CNN reported on July 2.
During a meeting with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui on July 12, Lavrov expressed gratitude for North Korean troops and support for the country's nuclear program. He also said he would work to facilitate expanded Russian tourism in North Korea.
Lavrov warned the U.S., South Korea, and Japan against forming a security partnership targeting North Korea. The three countries have been expanding and restoring trilateral military exercises in response to growing alarm over North Korea's nuclear program.
