Sergey Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister, criticized the West for condemning North Korea's troop deployment to Russia, asserting that the West bears the responsibility for the war. He emphasized that Russia and North Korea will continue to jointly respond to external threats in the future.
On the 30th (local time), in an interview with TASS news agency, Minister Lavrov stated, "The West, which condemns the deployment of North Korean troops, should reflect on itself," adding, "Recently, fake news about North Korea's troop deployment has been reported more aggressively. NATO forces and mercenaries are planning and conducting combat operations on the side of Ukraine, openly involved, and NATO has intervened in Ukraine's Kursk invasion and long-range missile attacks on Russian territory."
He continued, "Exchanges with North Korea will be built according to the recently enacted bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership treaty," emphasizing, "This primarily provides a joint response to threats arising to either party to the agreement." Earlier in June, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un signed a mutual assistance treaty in Pyongyang, under which the two countries promised to provide military support if either party is in a state of war. Subsequently, a force of about 10,000 troops was dispatched from North Korea to Russia.
Minister Lavrov stated, "NATO's expansion over the years is one of the main root causes of the Ukraine crisis, so securing Ukraine's non-aligned status is one of the 'special military operation' objectives that must be achieved," adding, "Russia is ready to engage in dialogue on the Ukraine issue, but it must be a dialogue to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and to reach a reliable and legally binding agreement that makes violations impossible."
Regarding the ceasefire proposal related to the Ukraine war from the transition team of President-elect Donald Trump, he said, "We have not yet received an official signal from the U.S. side regarding the resolution of the Ukraine issue," and added, "We are certainly not satisfied with the Trump transition team's proposal to delay Ukraine's NATO membership by 20 years and to deploy a peacekeeping force composed of British and European troops in Ukraine."
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