North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has Moscow’s “complete support,” according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
While in North Korea on business, Mr. Lavrov expressed gratitude for the nation’s assistance to Ukraine.
His current journey prepares the ground for President Vladimir Putin’s potential trip to North Korea.
The US claimed last week that North Korea has started delivering sizable shipments of weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine.
After Mr. Kim’s two-day journey to Russia in September, his first trip outside of the country since the crisis, where he met with Mr. Putin to explore “possibilities” for military cooperation, comes Mr. Lavrov.
Kim Jong Un extends his trip to Russia by a number of days.
Kim Jong Un displays missiles to Shoigu of Russia
The Hwasong intercontinental ballistic missile was among the newest weaponry displayed to the Russian defense minister, who was in North Korea earlier in July.
Announcing Moscow’s “complete support” for Mr. Kim at an official ceremony on Wednesday, Mr. Lavrov also charged that the US and its allies had started a “war against the Russian federation.”
Without going into further detail, he added that he was there to talk about carrying out the agreements reached when Mr. Putin and Mr. Kim met last month.
It is unknown if Mr. Lavrov will have a meeting with Mr. Kim during this visit, as he did during his previous trip to Pyongyang in 2018.
However, Washington has issued a warning that any assistance from the North would contravene UN resolutions, claiming that Moscow was purchasing weaponry from Pyongyang for its conflict against Ukraine.
The transfer of ammunition and weaponry, according to US intelligence and data disclosed on Friday, had already begun.
In early September, 300 containers were delivered from the North Korean port of Nanjin to Dunay on the east coast of Russia, and then they were moved to a military storage facility close to Tikhoretsk, not far from the Ukrainian border, according to satellite pictures.
Due to their compatibility with Russian weapon systems, analysts previously informed the BBC that Moscow might be interested in North Korean armaments.
Due of its ongoing war with the South, North Korea has a sizable arsenal. Technically, the two nations are still at war.
North Korea’s economy is in a terrible position and lacks basic necessities like food and medication as a result of international sanctions and internal restrictions, which have just lately started to ease.
According to some observers, Mr. Kim would have requested relief for the plight of the homeless during the suspected arms deal with Russia in September. Nevertheless, experts believe that given their relative paucity of resources, Pyongyang may be hesitant to hand away too much ammo.
Both North Korea and Russia have promised to strengthen ties during the last six months as both nations have become more apart from the rest of the world.