
Lavrov meets Kim, praises ties as 'invincible brotherhood'
Relations between the two countries deepened during the conflict in Ukraine. Thousands of North Korean troops were deployed during the months-long campaign to oust Ukrainian forces from Russia's Kursk region, while Pyongyang has also supplied Russia with munitions. Lavrov also met with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son Hui, TASS reported.
"We exchanged views on the situation surrounding the Ukrainian crisis ... Our Korean friends confirmed their firm support for all the objectives of the special military operation, as well as for the actions of the Russian leadership and armed forces," TASS quoted Lavrov as saying. — Reuters

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Observer
20 hours ago
- Observer
Cambodia marks Unesco recognition
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia held ceremonies across the country on Sunday to celebrate Unesco's recognition of three former Khmer Rouge sites as World Heritage, honouring their transformation from centres of repression to places of peace and reflection. The Tuol Sleng prison and Choeung Ek killing fields in Phnom Penh, and M-13 prison in Kampong Chhnang province were inscribed as "Cambodian Memorial Sites: From centres of repression to places of peace and reflection" during a Unesco meeting in Paris. "This is a model for the world, showing the long struggle of Cambodia, reconciliation, the spirit of national unity, finding justice for the victims and building peace," said interim Culture Minister Hab Touch. The Khmer Rouge sites mark Cambodia's fifth World Heritage listing, and is the country's first modern-era nomination and among the first globally tied to recent conflict. The sites are a stark reminder of the atrocities committed under Pol Pot's regime from 1975 to 1979, during which an estimated 1.7 million to 2.2 million people died, many from starvation, torture, or execution. The Tuol Sleng prison, which held approximately 15,000 prisoners, is now a genocide museum. — Reuters


Observer
21 hours ago
- Observer
North Korea's Kim offers Russia full support on Ukraine
SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un offered Moscow his full support for its war in Ukraine during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Pyongyang state media said on Sunday. Lavrov's visit to North Korea was the latest in a series of high-profile trips by top Moscow officials as both countries deepen military and political ties amid Russia's offensive against Kyiv. Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to Russia's Kursk region to oust Ukrainian forces and has also provided the Russian army with artillery shells and missiles. Moscow said Lavrov's talks with Kim were held in a "warm comradely atmosphere." Lavrov expressed "sincere gratitude to Pyongyang" for its role in Kursk and support of Russia's operation, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. Moscow also said the two sides "agreed" that the West was to blame for "the growing tension" on the Korean peninsula. The ministry earlier posted a video on Telegram of the two men shaking hands and greeting each other with a hug. It said the talks were held in Wonsan, a city on North Korea's east coast where a massive resort was opened earlier this month — one of leader Kim's pet projects. Kim told Lavrov that Pyongyang was "ready to unconditionally support and encourage all the measures taken by the Russian leadership as regards the tackling of the root cause of the Ukrainian crisis", KCNA said. The North Korean leader also expressed a "firm belief that the Russian army and people would surely win victory in accomplishing the sacred cause of defending the dignity and basic interests of the country". He lauded Putin's "outstanding leadership", the report said. The two men otherwise discussed "important matters for faithfully implementing the agreements made at the historic DPRK-Russia summit talks in June 2024", KCNA said, referring to North Korea by its official acronym. Lavrov told Kim that Putin "hopes for continued direct contacts in the very near future", according to Russia's TASS news agency. He left Pyongyang and landed in Beijing on Sunday to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Foreign Ministers' Council, TASS reported on its Telegram account. Ahead of Lavrov's recent visit, Russia announced that it would begin twice-a-week flights between Moscow and Pyongyang. Lavrov lauded Wonsan as "a good tourist attraction", adding: "We hope it will be popular not only with local citizens, but also with Russians." KCNA also issued a statement on Sunday on the meeting between Lavrov and his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui, held a day earlier in the coastal city, saying that bilateral ties were becoming an "invincible alliance". Moscow "expressed its firm support for the DPRK side in its just efforts for defending the security of the state" during the meeting, KCNA said. In return, Choe demonstrated "full sympathy and support for all the measures taken by the Russian government to remove the root cause of the Ukrainian conflict". TASS earlier reported that Lavrov thanked the "heroic" North Korean soldiers who have been deployed to aid Russia during the ministerial meeting. Around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded fighting for Russia, Seoul has said. North Korea only confirmed it had deployed troops to support Russia's war in April, and admitted its soldiers had been killed in combat. Both sides "emphasised their determination to jointly counter the hegemonic aspirations of extra-regional players, which are leading to escalating tensions in Northeast Asia and throughout the Asia-Pacific region", Russia's foreign ministry said. The two heavily sanctioned nations signed a military deal last year, including a mutual defence clause, during a rare visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pyongyang. Meanwhile, Russia said on Sunday it took another village in the west of Ukraine's Donetsk region, as its troops advance towards the neighbouring Dnipropetrovsk region. Russia's defence ministry said Russian troops had captured the village of Myrne, calling the village by its Soviet name "Karl Marx". It lies close to the administrative border between the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions. — AFP


Muscat Daily
a day ago
- Muscat Daily
N. Korea's Kim Jong-un offers full support to Russia in Ukraine War
Wonsan, North Korea – The announcement came during Kim's meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who visited North Korea for high-level talks. According to state-run KCNA, Kim expressed his 'full support and solidarity for all of Russia's decisions' and described the two countries as having an 'invincible fighting brotherhood'. 'He affirmed his stand to unconditionally support every decision made by the Russian leadership,' KCNA reported. The meeting marks another step in the intensifying ties between North Korea and Russia, following recent allegations that Pyongyang has been supplying artillery shells, missiles, and even troops to assist Moscow's operations in Ukraine. Reports also suggest North Korean laborers and engineers have been involved in infrastructure projects in occupied Ukrainian regions—raising international concern and condemnation, particularly from the West. Lavrov, in turn, praised North Korea's 'firm support for Russia's position' and emphasized expanding economic, military, and diplomatic cooperation. The talks are expected to lay the groundwork for a potential second summit between Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, after their high-profile meeting in September 2023 at the Vostochny Cosmodrome. Western governments, including the United States and South Korea, have warned that deeper Russia–North Korea cooperation could violate UN Security Council sanctions, particularly if arms transfers or ballistic missile technology are involved. Both nations, heavily sanctioned and isolated, appear to be forging a strategic alignment aimed at counterbalancing Western influence, deepening cooperation in areas ranging from weapons development to space technology. -DW