North Korea’s Kim pledges full support for Russia on Ukraine during talks with Lavrov: KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed unwavering support for Russia’s war in Ukraine during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, North Korea’s state media reported early Sunday.

Lavrov’s visit marked the latest in a series of high-level exchanges between Moscow and Pyongyang as the two nations deepen military and political cooperation amid Russia’s ongoing offensive in Ukraine.

According to reports, North Korea has deployed thousands of troops to Russia’s Kursk region to help expel Ukrainian forces and has supplied Moscow with artillery shells and missiles.

Kim and Lavrov met Saturday in what North Korea's KCNA described as “an atmosphere of warm, comradely trust.” Russia’s foreign ministry shared a video on Telegram showing the two leaders embracing and shaking hands, noting the talks took place in Wonsan, a city on North Korea’s east coast that recently unveiled a sprawling new resort.

During the talks, Kim reportedly told Lavrov that North Korea “fully supports and encourages all measures taken by Russian leadership to address the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis,” and voiced confidence in Russia’s victory, praising President Vladimir Putin’s “extraordinary leadership.”

The two also discussed the implementation of agreements made during the landmark DPRK-Russia summit in June 2024, KCNA said. Last year, the two countries signed a mutual defense pact during Putin’s rare visit to Pyongyang, underscoring their growing strategic alliance.

Lavrov conveyed Putin’s message of hope for more direct engagements in the near future, according to Russian news agency TASS. He also met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and expressed gratitude to North Korean troops assisting Russia, TASS added.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to countering what they described as “hegemonic ambitions” of outside powers that are escalating tensions in Northeast Asia and the broader Asia-Pacific region, according to Russia’s foreign ministry.

Ahead of the visit, Russia announced it would begin operating biweekly flights between Moscow and Pyongyang. Lavrov praised Wonsan as a promising tourist destination and expressed hope that it would attract both local and Russian visitors.