Pyongyang pledges loyalty to Russia “until victory” over Ukraine

North Korea's FM Choe Son Hui hailed Putin's "wise leadership" ahead of talks in Moscow, and insisted that Russia will "achieve a great victory."

Nov 1, 2024 - 18:00

pyongyang pledges loyalty russia “until victory” over ukraine foreign ministers choe son hui north korea (l) sergei lavrov (r) moscow his korean counterpart 1 november 2024

North Korea has pledged its unwavering support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, as its Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui visited Moscow on 1 November 2024, Sky News and Reuters report. Meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Choe lauded the “wise leadership” of Russian President Vladimir Putin and committed Pyongyang’s backing “until the day of victory.”

Amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, North Korea has sent over 2 million artillery rounds to Moscow since 2023. South Korea reported earlier that 3,000 North Korean troops were deployed in Russia for training, with 10,000 planned by December. Ukraine’s military says initial units have reached Russia’s Kursk combat zone.

During the talks, Choe assured Lavrov that North Korea would continue to stand with Russian forces, describing the alliance as an “invincible military comradeship.” Lavrov acknowledged the “very close ties” between North Korea and Russia, noting the collaboration between their military and security services on “important security tasks.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted that 10,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia, with up to 8,000 stationed in Kursk Oblast, where they are expected to enter the battle against Ukraine soon. North Korean forces have undergone training from Russian forces, preparing in artillery, drone operations, and infantry tasks, including trench clearing, he stated.

According to Sky News, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told South Korean TV outlet KBS that he viewed as an inadequate Western response to North Korean military involvement, saying it amounted to “nothing, it’s zero.”

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