North Korea reaffirmed its support for Russia’s war on Ukraine as the nations’ foreign ministers met in Moscow, Pyongyang’s state media reported Tuesday, increasing speculation Kim Jong Un may soon visit the Kremlin.

Diplomatically isolated North Korea and Russia have rapidly expanded cooperation since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

Pyongyang has sent troops to Russia’s embattled Kursk region and supplied Moscow with weapons systems, in return securing financial assistance, food, energy supplies and military technology, analysts say.

Following a Moscow meeting between North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Pyongyang’s state media said the nations had “reaffirmed their steadfast political will to accelerate the long-term multi-faceted development of the bilateral relations”.

“The DPRK side expressed invariable support for all the internal and external policies of the Russian Federation to eliminate the root cause of the Ukrainian dispute and defend its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and international justice,” state news agency KCNA said.

The agency reported that Russia, meanwhile, expressed full support for North Korea’s efforts to defend its sovereignty and security.

Kim Jong Un last traveled to Russia in September 2023, and Putin made a rare visit to Pyongyang in June 2024. (AFP)