Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrives in Wonsan, North Korea, on Friday for a three-day working visit. Photo by Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service/EPA
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov traveled to North Korea on Friday to meet with his North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and others during a three-day visit.
He said Moscow respects North Korea’s efforts to develop nuclear arms by using its own scientists amid recent military exercises involving the U.S., South Korean and Japanese forces, according to CNN.
The U.S. and its South Korean and Japanese allies conducted a joint aerial training operation on the Korean Peninsula on Friday.
Lavrov warned the United States and its regional allies against targeting North Korea and Russia, Newsweek reported on Saturday.
“No one is considering using force against North Korea despite the military buildup around the country by the United States, South Korea and Japan,” Lavrov said of the joint military exercise.
“We respect North Korea’s aspirations and understand the reasons why it is pursuing a nuclear development,” Lavrov said.
He said Moscow is aware that President Donald Trump recently expressed support for resuming talks with North Korea at the highest level.
“We exchanged views on the situation surrounding the Ukrainian crisis,” Lavrov told Russian state media outlet TASS.
“Our Korean friends confirmed their firm support of all the objectives of the special military operation,” he said of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry earlier this week invitedLavrov to visit Pyongyang, which is preparing to deploy between 25,000 and 30,000 soldiers for Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine.
North Korea last year deployed 11,000 soldiers to Russia to help repel a Ukrainian incursion in the Kursk region of Russia.
