Russia Says Foreign Minister Lavrov Met Kim Jong Un

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his visit to the secretive country and key Moscow ally.

Lavrov “was received” by Kim Jong Un, Russia’s foreign ministry said on Telegram, posting a video of two men shaking hands and greeting with a hug.

Lavrov told Kim that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin “hopes for continued direct contacts in the very near future,” according to the Russian state agency TASS.

Russian and North Korean state media announced the visit earlier, saying Lavrov would stay until Sunday.

It is the latest in a series of high-profile trips by top Moscow officials as both countries deepen military and political ties over Russia’s offensive in Ukraine.

Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to Russia’s Kursk region to oust Kyiv’s forces and provided the Russian army with artillery shells and missiles.

Earlier on Saturday, Lavrov met with his counterpart Choe Son Hui and said that North Korean officials had “reaffirmed their full support for all objectives” of the offensive in Ukraine, TASS reported. 

He also thanked the “heroic” North Korean soldiers.

Both sides “emphasized their determination to jointly counter the hegemonic aspirations of extra-regional players, which are leading to escalating tensions in Northeast Asia and throughout the Asia-Pacific region,” Russia’s foreign ministry said.

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Lavrov met with his counterpart in Wonsan, a city on the country’s east coast where a massive resort was opened earlier this month.

Ahead of the visit, Russia announced that it would begin twice-a-week flights between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Lavrov lauded Wonsan as “a good tourist attraction,” adding: “We hope it will be popular not only with local citizens, but also with Russians.”

The two heavily sanctioned nations signed a military deal last year, including a mutual defense clause, during a rare visit by Vladimir Putin to North Korea.