North Korea reaffirms support for Russia's war in Ukraine

 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un welcomed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Wonsan, North Korea

 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un offered Moscow his "unconditional support" on the war in Ukraine, according to state media reports.

 In talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in North Korea, Kim said that Pyongyang stood by "all the measures taken by the Russian leadership" to tackle the "root cause of the Ukrainian crisis".

 Western officials believe that Pyongyang has sent 11,000 troops to Russia to fight against Ukraine over the past year. Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

 According to North Korean state media KCNA news agency, Kim and Lavrov met on Saturday in "an atmosphere full of warm comradely trust".

 The North Korean leader also expressed 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".

 On Telegram, Russia's foreign ministry posted a video showing the two men shaking hands and greeting each other with a hug.

 North Korea's renewed military support for Russia comes as US President Donald Trump has resumed military supplies to Ukraine, after a brief hiatus.

 After a flurry of Russian aerial attacks, Trump told NBC News on Thursday that he had reached a deal with NATO to send US Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine through the alliance. Pyongyang first publicly acknowledged sending troops to Russia in April, months after Ukraine and the West revealed the large-scale troop movement from North Korea to the Russian-Ukrainian frontline.

 In June of last year, Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to support one another in the event of "aggression" between the two nations. Apart from soldiers, North Korea also promised to send thousands of workers to help rebuild Russia's war-torn Kursk region, Moscow's security chief said last month.