North Korea vows to stand by Russia until it defeats Ukraine

None of the foreign ministers directly mentioned the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers to Russia ahead of their expected arrival on the front lines.

North Korea has become an important ally for Russia since the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, supplying artillery shells and missiles.

Antony Blinken, Washington’s top diplomat, said he believed Pyongyang may already have 8,000 troops stationed in Kursk, which was invaded by Ukraine in August.

They could be deployed to the front lines “within days,” officials believe, once Russia’s upper house of parliament signs a “mutual military assistance” pact agreed between Vladimir Putin and Kim.