President Kim Yong-un vowed that North Korea would “invariably support” Russia’s war in Ukraine during his meeting with Russia’s defense chief, state media reported Saturday.
A Russian military delegation led by Defense Minister Andrei Belousov arrived in North Korea on Friday, amid growing international concern over expanding cooperation between the two countries after North Korea sent thousands of soldiers in Russia last month.
The official Korean News Agency said Kim and Belousov reached a “satisfactory consensus” on strengthening the strategic partnership and defending each country’s sovereignty, security interests and international justice in the face of rapidly evolving international security environments at a meeting on Friday.
Kim said North Korea “will invariably support the Russian Federation’s policy of defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity against the imperialists’ attempts at hegemony,” KCNA said.
North Korea supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling it a defensive response to what Moscow and Pyongyang call NATO’s “reckless” eastward advance and state actions -United to eradicate Russia’s position as a powerful state.
Kim criticized the U.S. decision in early November to allow Ukraine to strike targets in Russia with U.S.-supplied long-range missiles, calling it direct intervention in the conflict. He called recent Russian strikes against Ukraine a “timely and effective measure” demonstrating Russia’s resolve, KCNA said.
According to US, Ukrainian and South Korean assessments, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops to Russia and some of them have already started engaging in combat on the front line. The United States, South Korea and others say North Korea has also shipped artillery systems, missiles and other conventional weapons to replenish Russia’s depleted weapons inventory.
North Korea and Russia have not officially confirmed North Korean troop movements and have strongly denied reports of arms deliveries.
South Korea, the United States and their partners fear that Russia could offer North Korea advanced military technology in return, including help in building more powerful nuclear missiles.
Last week, South Korean national security adviser Shin Wonsik told a local SBS television show that Seoul believed Russia had supplied air defense missile systems to North Korea. He added that Russia also appeared to have provided economic aid to North Korea and various military technologies, including those needed for the North’s efforts to build a reliable space surveillance system.
Belousov also met with North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang Chol on Friday. At a dinner the same day, Belousov said the strategic partnership between the two countries was crucial to defend their sovereignty against the aggression and arbitrary actions of the imperialists, KCNA reported.
In June, Kim and Putin signed a treaty requiring both countries to provide immediate military assistance in the event of an attack. It is considered the largest defense agreement between the two countries since the end of the Cold War.
