Russian Foreign Minister Describes Russia-North Korea Ties as 'Invincible Brotherhood'

TASS Reports on the Outcome of Russia-North Korea Talks

Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, arrived in Wonsan, North Korea, on the 11th (local time) and was welcomed by North Korean officials as he disembarked from the plane. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

As North Korea and Russia draw closer following North Korea's troop deployment to the Russia-Ukraine war, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described the relationship between the two countries as a "solid brotherly relationship."

According to Russian state news agency TASS, on July 12, during a North Korea-Russia foreign ministers' meeting held in Wonsan, North Korea, Lavrov stated, "The direct participation of Korean People's Army soldiers in the operation to liberate the Kursk region is a clear example that the relationship between our two countries can be defined as an 'invincible brotherhood.'"

Lavrov visited North Korea for a three-day schedule, including meetings with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Sonhui. TASS added that before the meeting, Lavrov was warmly welcomed by a crowd holding bouquets of flowers.

Lavrov also said, "In our first meeting, Foreign Minister Choe Sonhui described our new basic strategic agreement as a 'solid foundation of unbreakable military brotherhood.' The example cited by Foreign Minister Choe in the Kursk region is concrete evidence of that assessment."

He further stated, "There, soldiers of the Korean People's Army and Russian troops shed their blood and gave their lives to accelerate the liberation of Kursk from Ukrainian Nazi forces."

Some observers have speculated that North Korea may send up to 30,000 additional troops to Russia. On July 2, CNN, citing Ukrainian intelligence authorities, reported that North Korea is expected to dispatch up to 30,000 additional troops to support Russia.

According to the analysis obtained by CNN from Ukrainian intelligence, the additional troops could arrive in Russia within a few months. The Russian Ministry of Defense is reportedly prepared to provide the necessary equipment, weapons, and ammunition to integrate the North Korean soldiers into Russian units.

Previously, on June 17, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu announced after meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang that North Korea had agreed to send a total of 6,000 engineering and military construction personnel to assist in the reconstruction of Kursk, Russia. In October last year, North Korea had already deployed approximately 11,000 combat troops to Russia during its first troop dispatch.