Behind Lavrov’s Trip: Russia and North Korea’s Deepening Wartime Bond
Today, July 12, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in North Korea for an official visit, underscoring Moscow’s deepening military and political alignment with Pyongyang amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Russian state-owned TASS reports that during the negotiations, the North Korean side expressed unequivocal support for all the goals of the special military operation and the actions of the Russian leadership. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a press conference following his talks with DPRK Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in Wonsan.
“We exchanged views on the situation surrounding the Ukrainian crisis," he noted. "Our Korean friends reaffirmed their unequivocal support for all the goals of the special military operation and the actions of the Russian leadership and armed forces. In turn, we once again expressed our sincere gratitude for the contribution of the Korean People's Army servicemen to the successful completion of the operation to liberate the Kursk region from Ukrainian Nazis and foreign mercenaries.” – added Lavrov.
Journalists asked Lavrov about the possibility of North Korean troops being involved in combat in Ukraine. In response, Lavrov stated that the deployment of DPRK forces to the Kursk region was an initiative of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and that Moscow "had no reason to refuse such a sincere expression of solidarity." "We proceed from the understanding that the DPRK independently determines the forms in which it implements our strategic partnership agreement," Lavrov added.
As Russia’s large-scale invasion failed to swiftly compel Kyiv’s capitulation as originally anticipated, Moscow has become increasingly dependent on military assistance from North Korea. Russia is receiving essential wartime supplies—ammunition in multiple calibers, including 122 mm, 152 mm, and rocket projectiles for multiple launch rocket systems—helping to mitigate shortages caused by persistent pressure on its military-industrial complex, which has struggled to fulfill production requirements.