Russia, North Korea accuse US, allies of regional provocation

Russia and North Korea have criticised the United States and its allies for the expansion of “provocative military activities” around the Korean Peninsula.

The exercises have been the main cause of “the deteriorating security situation” in Northeast Asia and beyond, according to Moscow and Pyongyang.

Both sides agreed on the position on Monday during meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the visiting DPRK Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui.

Lavrov and Choe Son-hui held a third round of strategic dialogue, which focused on bilateral issues and the implementation of agreements Putin and Kim Jong-un reached in June 2024.

They re-commited to developing the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to strengthen their alliance.

The allies said their partnership will contribute to regional and international security and to the emergence of a new, more equitable multipolar world order based on equality and mutual respect.

At a session with Minister Son-hui at the The Kremlin, President Vladmir Putin praised the Russia-DPRK bilateral relations and thanked North Korea for its assistance in the special military operation.

Putin noted that the combat feats of Korean servicemen in Ukraine earned the soldiers state awards, saying their contributions “will always be remembered in Russia.”