North Korea will support Russia in "their sacred war" in Ukraine until victory, stated Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui on Friday during talks in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. According to her, Pyongyang has no doubt that the Russian army and people "will achieve a great victory in the sacred struggle to protect the sovereign rights and security interests of their state." She also stated that the cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang is reaching the level of "invincible combat comradeship, as well as strategic relations with a century-long perspective."
Choe also noted that the "current situation" requires North Korea to strengthen its strategic and offensive nuclear weapons, as well as "improve readiness for a nuclear counterattack." Previously, Western countries have repeatedly expressed concern that in exchange for sending North Korean military personnel to the Kursk region, the Kremlin might transfer military technologies to North Korea.
In turn, Lavrov confirmed that the partnership with North Korea has a "strategic character, including in terms of the intensity of political dialogue." He emphasized that there are "very close contacts" between the leadership of the Russian and North Korean armies along the lines of special services.
Meanwhile, US officials are negotiating with Chinese counterparts regarding the deployment of North Korean troops to the combat zone in Ukraine, writes the newspaper The New York Times.
On October 29, high-ranking American officials held talks with Chinese diplomats in Washington, a source told the publication. The US hopes that China will at least convey a message to Kim Jong Un, and if the negotiations are successful, will be able to limit or stop the deployment of North Korean troops on the front.
Washington hopes that Beijing can influence North Korean authorities to limit or suspend the deployment of North Korean forces. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan urged all US agencies to warn Chinese colleagues about possible consequences, one American official told NYT.
It is noted that China is a long-time ally of North Korea and its most powerful economic and military partner, but the cooperation between Russia and North Korea means that Beijing has to "increasingly share influence over Pyongyang with Moscow." Meanwhile, North Korea's involvement in Ukraine's affairs further engages Europe in East Asian security issues, which China does not want.
"I will say that we have directly communicated with representatives of the Chinese government to clearly express our concern about the deepening military relations between Russia and North Korea, as well as to make it clear that we believe this should be a concern for China and other countries in the region," said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller at the end of October.
Photo: Reuters