Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has condemned efforts by the United States, South Korea, and Japan to forge security alliances aimed at countering North Korea, warning that such moves could destabilise regional balance and provoke further escalation.
“We warn against exploiting these ties to build alliances directed against anyone, including North Korea and, of course, Russia,” Lavrov said on Saturday after meeting North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, according to remarks published by state media.
The visit marked the second round of strategic dialogue between the two countries, as Moscow and Pyongyang deepen military and diplomatic coordination.
Lavrov also expressed regret over North Korea’s absence from recent ASEAN forums in Kuala Lumpur, saying Pyongyang’s voice had been "missed," but assured Choe that “even in your absence, we upheld your interests at the ASEAN Regional Forum on Security.”
North Korean troops in Ukraine, Putin's message to Kim
Lavrov also made a startling admission that soldiers from North Korea have actively fought alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region of Ukraine.
He praised their “excellent combat readiness,” and said their efforts were “tangibly confirmed” by the blood they had shed in what he described as the “just cause of liberating Russian territories from Ukraine.”
Lavrov is expected to visit Pyongyang during his stay and deliver a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Kim Jong-un.
He will then travel to China to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting.
