War in Ukraine: Lavrov: North Korea supports Russia’s war goals

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov emphasized the continuation of the military alliance of both countries when he visited North Korea. “Our Korean friends have confirmed their clear support towards all goals of the military special surgery and the actions of the Russian leadership and the Russian army,” said Lavrow after a conversation with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son Hui. With “Military Special Operation”, Moscow officially describes his attack war on Ukraine, which has been going on for three years.

The conversations in the port city of Wonsan run against the background of media reports about a possible new posting of North Korean soldiers to Russia.

North Korea supported the Russian attack war against Ukraine with the delivery of weapons to Moscow. In autumn last year there were reports on a possible use of North Korean soldiers in the West Russian region of Kursk for the first time. They were used in recapturing the parts of the region previously taken by Ukrainian troops. According to the Ukrainian secret service, a total of around 14,000 soldiers from North Korea fought on this front section.

For a long time, the North Korean government has not confirmed the sending of soldiers to Russia. It was only in April that the state news agency KCNA claimed that North Korean soldiers helped the Russian armed forces to “completely free the Kursk” region. At the end of June, North Korea’s state television KCTV also showed photo recordings on which it can be seen, as ruler Kim Jong and the North Korean flag over a coffin – and thus presumably mourned the soldiers who died in the Russian war against Ukraine.

Lavrov: Monument to Korean soldiers in Kursk

In Pyongyang, Lavrow thanked again for the help of North Korea and said that a monument was being built in Kursk for the fallen North Korean soldiers.

A new commitment in which, according to the media and the Ukrainian secret service, up to 30,000 North Koreans could be involved would no longer be covered by the support pact of both countries. Because after the reconquest of Kursk, the North Korean soldiers would probably fight on Ukrainian soil.