North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui promised that North Korea would stand with Russia "until the day of victory" during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Nov. 1.
Choe's visit comes as 8,000 North Korean troops are reportedly preparing to enter combat alongside Russian forces in Kursk Oblast.
"Our traditional, historically friendly relations, which have traveled the tested path of history, today ... are rising to a new level of relations of invincible military comradeship," Choe told Lavrov.
Choe went on to praise Russian President Vladimir Putin's "wise leadership" and said North Korea is convinced Russia will "achieve a great victory in their sacred struggle to protect the sovereign rights and security interests of their state."
"And we also assure that until the day of victory we will firmly stand alongside our Russian comrades," she said.
Moscow and Pyongyang signed a strategic partnership agreement in June, pledging to provide military support to one another if either comes under attack. The Russian parliament ratified the defense treaty in October, amid reports that North Korea was sending troops along with weapons to aid Russia's war against Ukraine.
Kyiv has said that North Korea has sent nearly 12,000 troops to Russia, including 500 officers and three generals, according to Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR).
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a press conference on Oct. 31 that at least 8,000 North Korean forces have been deployed to Russia's Kursk Oblast and are expected to participate in active combat in the coming days.
"North Korean troops have not yet engaged in combat, but this is a matter of days, not months," Zelensky said on Oct. 31, urging Ukraine's allies to mount a more aggressive response to the Moscow-Pyongyang alliance.
"When deployed, they will be pushed forward, sustaining heavy losses, as Russia tries to minimize its own troop mobilization."
Choe and Lavrov did not mention the reports of troop deployment in their remarks. Zelensky has said that Russia has confirmed North Korea's direct involvement in the war to the West via military intelligence channels.
Dmytro Basmat
(Updated: )
