North Korea has expressed strong support for Russia, saying it is fully confident that Moscow will achieve a “major victory” in Ukraine. The comments were made by North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui during a meeting in Moscow with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Tass news agency reported. Lavrov stressed that ties between the armed forces and security services of the two countries have intensified, allowing them to address issues of national security.

The meeting began at Yaroslavl railway station, where the two officials unveiled a commemorative plaque dedicated to North Korean leader Kim Il Sung’s visit to Moscow in 1949. Minister Choe said that North Korea will continue to build up its nuclear arsenal to be ready to respond to any aggression, denouncing current perceived threats to her country and alluding to alleged nuclear attack plans being drawn up by the United States and South Korea.

Amid the conflict in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to withdraw troops and equipment from North Korea, marking a rare event: the entry of foreign forces into Russian territory after more than a century. According to US intelligence sources, about 8,000 North Korean soldiers, part of a contingent estimated at 10,000, have been sent to Russia’s Kursk region, near the border with Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized his allies' inaction regarding the use of North Korean troops and expressed surprise at China’s silence on the development.

China has said it does not see the strengthening of ties between Pyongyang and Moscow as a cause for concern. After learning of the presence of North Korean troops in Russia, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that the bilateral relationship between the two countries is an internal matter of their respective sovereign states. Lin also stressed that China is looking forward to a de-escalation and a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis, reiterating Beijing’s official position on the matter.