Kim Jong Un pledges “unconditional support” as North Korea reportedly sends thousands of troops to aid Russia’s war effort against Ukraine.
North Korea has doubled down on its backing of Russia’s war in Ukraine, with leader Kim Jong Un offering Moscow his “unconditional support” during a high-level meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Pyongyang, according to state media reports.
During the talks, Kim expressed unwavering support for “all the measures taken by the Russian leadership” to address what he described as the “root cause of the Ukrainian crisis.” The meeting was described by North Korea’s KCNA news agency as taking place in “an atmosphere full of warm comradely trust.”
In a firm statement of allegiance, Kim told Lavrov he had 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.”
According to Western intelligence sources, North Korea has dispatched an estimated 11,000 troops to support Russian forces on the Ukrainian front lines over the past year. Pyongyang first acknowledged the deployment in April, months after reports surfaced from Ukraine and Western officials regarding the presence of North Korean troops.
A video posted by Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Telegram showed Lavrov and Kim embracing and shaking hands — a visual confirmation of the growing ties between the two authoritarian regimes.
This renewed military alignment comes amid a global shift in Ukraine war dynamics. Former U.S. President Donald Trump recently resumed American military aid to Ukraine, announcing a deal with NATO to supply Patriot air defense systems following an uptick in Russian airstrikes.
The strategic bond between Moscow and Pyongyang was formalized in June last year, when Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a mutual defense pact pledging to support one another in the event of foreign aggression.
As Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds on, North Korea’s expanded military cooperation signals a deepening of global divisions, with new alliances reshaping the geopolitical landscape.