Diplomats at the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting pose for a photo in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, on Wednesday. The ministers issued a joint communique reaffirming their commitment to the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea. Photo courtesy of Canadian Government Press Office/EPA
The top diplomats from the Group of Seven countries reaffirmed their commitment to the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea and condemned the regime’s illicit nuclear and ballistic missile programs in a joint communique.
Representatives of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain, the United States and the European Union issued the statement on Wednesday after the two-day G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada.
“We strongly condemned the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and reaffirmed our commitment to the complete denuclearization of the DPRK,” the statement read.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.
The diplomats also expressed “grave concern” over Pyongyang’s cryptocurrency thefts, which experts say provide a major source of funding for the North’s weapons programs.
North Korea has rejected calls for denuclearization since officially declaring itself a nuclear-armed state in 2022.
In September, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signaled a willingness to resume diplomacy with Washington but warned that any discussion of giving up his regime’s nuclear arsenal would be off the table.
“If the United States abandons its vain obsession with denuclearization, acknowledges reality and desires genuine peaceful coexistence with us, there is no reason why we should not sit down with the United States,” Kim said in a speech to North Korea’s parliament.
U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has complicated Washington’s messaging with remarks acknowledging Pyongyang’s nuclear capabilities.
During a recent trip to Asia, Trump referred to the North as “sort of a nuclear power,” telling reporters aboard Air Force One, “I know how many weapons they have … they’ve got a lot of nuclear weapons, I’ll say that.”
The G7 ministers also reaffirmed their “unwavering” support for Ukraine and denounced military aid for Russia by North Korea, Iran and China.
“We condemned the provision to Russia of military assistance by DPRK and Iran, and the provision of weapons and dual-use components by China, a decisive enabler of Russia’s war,” the statement read.
Seoul’s National Intelligence Service estimates North Korea has sent weapons and some 15,000 troops to Russia since 2024, primarily to help recapture lost territory in Kursk Province from Ukrainian forces. In exchange, Pyongyang is believed to be receiving financial aid and advanced military technology to bolster its illicit weapons programs.
Last week, a delegation of Russian military officials visited Pyongyang to discuss further strengthening cooperation, state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.
