
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son Hui, that Russia and North Korea are working to create a " new and just world order " as the two countries deepen their cooperation.
According to the North Korean state news agency KCNA , Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow's commitment to expanding cooperation with Pyongyang in all areas and contributing to regional and international security.
Relations between Russia and North Korea have strengthened significantly since the start of the war in Ukraine. In late 2024, North Korea sent about 14,000 troops to Russia to help Russian forces repel the Ukrainian incursion in the Kursk region.
Lavrov described the participation of North Korean soldiers in the fighting in Kursk as evidence of "combat friendship" between the two countries.
Meanwhile, South Korea and Western countries suspect that Pyongyang is receiving weapons development assistance from Moscow in exchange for military support for Russia.
North Korea is also suspected of supplying Russia with millions of artillery shells, ballistic missiles and multiple launch rocket systems for use in the war against Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has meanwhile warned that up to 50,000 North Korean soldiers could be sent to Russia in a new deployment, increasing military pressure on Ukraine.