North Korean leader Kim Jong Un offered Moscow his full support for its war in Ukraine during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Pyongyang state media said Sunday.
Lavrov’s visit to North Korea was the latest in a series of high-profile trips by top Moscow officials as both countries deepen military and political ties amid Russia’s offensive against Kyiv.
Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to Russia’s Kursk region to oust Ukrainian forces and has also provided the Russian army with artillery shells and missiles.
Moscow said Lavrov’s talks with Kim were held in a “warm comradely atmosphere.”
Lavrov expressed “sincere gratitude to Pyongyang” for its role in Kursk and support of Russia’s operation, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Moscow also said the two sides “agreed” that the West was to blame for “the growing tension” on the Korean peninsula.
The ministry earlier posted a video on Telegram of the two men shaking hands and greeting each other with a hug.
It said the talks were held in Wonsan, a city on North Korea’s east coast where a massive resort was opened earlier this month — one of leader Kim’s pet projects.