Russia’s top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov arrived in North Korea on Saturday, reaffirming deepening strategic ties between Moscow and Pyongyang as the Ukraine conflict continues to reshape global alignments.
The visit Lavrov’s first to North Korea since the two nations signed a formal defence agreement in June 2024 began in the coastal city of Wonsan. There, he held bilateral talks with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, praising what he called an “invincible brotherhood” forged on the battlefield.
“The faith and brotherhood proved its worth in the Kursk region, where the heroism of North Korean soldiers, alongside Russian troops, managed to thwart and push back entire Ukrainian forces’ lines at the cost of their blood and even with their blood,” Lavrov declared during the meeting.
The diplomatic exchange underscores the growing military and political collaboration between the two authoritarian states. Following the 2024 pact, North Korea deployed special forces to support Russian troops in the strategically significant Kursk region, which was briefly seized by Ukrainian forces during a major offensive in August last year.
Ukraine’s capture of the border city of Sudzha and surrounding villages, widely condemned by Moscow as a violation of sovereignty, was, at the time, described by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as an effort to gain leverage in any future peace negotiations. Russian forces, aided by North Korean units, recaptured the region by April 2025.
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Lavrov’s remarks appear to be part of a broader campaign by the Kremlin to highlight foreign military support on the ground, a sensitive subject given Western sanctions and Ukraine’s own international backing.
Last month, Russian Security Council secretary Sergey Shoigu announced that Pyongyang had committed to dispatching 1,000 mine clearance personnel and 5,000 combat engineers to assist with reconstruction efforts in Kursk. The region’s civilian infrastructure was reportedly left in tatters following intense fighting.
North Korean troops, widely known for their grueling training and rigid discipline, have earned a reputation among Russian commanders as “fierce and very professional in their conduct.”
While Lavrov’s trip is officially billed as a diplomatic visit, its timing and symbolism, coming just weeks after battlefield gains in eastern Russia, suggest an attempt to showcase solidarity against Western adversaries and assert a multipolar world order resistant to US-led coalitions.
The visit is expected to include meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and senior defence officials, with further announcements on joint training and military technology transfers likely to follow.
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