Russia says foreign minister Lavrov met Kim Jong Un

MOSCOW: 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.

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.

Russia, North Korea foreign ministers meet, Pyongyang backs Ukraine war

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 North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui in Wonsan, a city on the country’s east coast where a massive resort was opened earlier this month.

Lavrov said that North Korean officials had “reaffirmed their full support for all objectives” of the offensive in Ukraine, according to a Russian state agency Tass.

He also thanked the “heroic” North Korean soldiers, the Russian foreign ministry said.

North Korea only confirmed it had deployed troops to support Russia in April.

Since then, Kim has been shown in state media paying tribute in front of flag-draped coffins of North Korean soldiers killed helping Russia fight Ukraine.

Russia’s security chief Sergei Shoigu visited Pyongyang multiple times this year.

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