North Korea’s top diplomat made the above statement during an official visit to Russia.
North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said the country will stand with Russia until Moscow wins in Ukraine.
Ms. Choe made the statement after meeting her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.
Her visit comes as the West says North Korea has sent thousands of troops to Russia. The US and its allies have also warned of a scenario where these soldiers could be sent to fight in Ukraine.
“We reiterate that we will stand by our Russian comrades until the day of victory. We have absolutely no doubt that under the wise leadership of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian army and people will certainly win the fight to protect the country’s sovereignty and security,” she said.
Mr Lavrov praised the close ties between Russia and North Korea.
This year, Russia and North Korea signed a mutual defense treaty. “Very close ties have been established between the armies and special forces of the two countries. This will also help to solve important security goals for Russian and North Korean citizens,” he stressed.
Moscow is “very grateful to our North Korean friends for their principled stance on the events that have taken place in Ukraine,” he said.
Neither diplomat addressed Western suspicions about the deployment of North Korean troops in Ukraine.
The US says 8,000 North Korean troops are training in Russia and could be deployed to fight in Ukraine.
On October 31, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized allies for not taking action on reports that North Korea might send troops to support Russia.
The Russian State Duma on October 24 approved a bilateral treaty with North Korea, which was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Pyongyang in June.
The treaty outlines the comprehensive strategic cooperation that the two countries intend to maintain, including on national security issues. It states that neither side will enter into treaties with third parties that infringe on the sovereignty of the other.
In the event of an attack on one of the two countries, the other country undertakes to provide assistance, including military means, as permitted by the United Nations Charter.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said the treaty would take relations between Russia and North Korea to a new level and contribute to “creating a fair multipolar international system.”
“This is an open treaty, there are no secret clauses. Everything is clearly written,” Mr. Rudenko said.
Russia and North Korea have so far continued to deny accusations that North Korea sent troops to Russia to fight, saying these accusations are baseless. On the other hand, Moscow has made it clear that even the scenario of North Korea sending troops to Russia would not violate international law.
