On Friday, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui arrived in Moscow for a visit and held a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov amid reports that thousands of North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia to support its army in the war in Ukraine.
According to AP News, neither Moscow nor Pyongyang specified the agenda of the talks; however, South Korean intelligence suggests that the ministers may discuss the issue of sending additional troops to Russia and what North Korea would receive in return.
During the meeting, Lavrov stated that relations between Moscow and Pyongyang "have reached an unprecedentedly high level in recent years."
In turn, the North Korean Foreign Minister asserted that North Korea supports the "just struggle of the Russian military and people to defend the sovereign rights and security interests of their country" in Ukraine:
"North Korea assures Russia that it will stand with its Russian comrades until the day of victory."
At the same time, Moscow and Pyongyang did not provide a clear response to statements from South Korea and the West regarding the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia, emphasizing that their military cooperation is in line with international law, while not directly acknowledging the presence of North Korean troops in Russia.
North Korean Military in Russia
Previously, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that 8,000 North Korean soldiers have already been sent to the Kursk region of Russia, noting that they may participate in combat operations in the coming days.
He pointed out that North Korean soldiers are undergoing training in artillery, drones, and are being prepared for basic infantry operations, including trench digging. According to Blinken, this indicates that Russia plans to utilize them in operations at the front.