Russia and North Korea say they are working toward a 'new and just' world order
Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said Moscow and Pyongyang are working toward a "new and just" world order, in a message to North Korea's foreign minister Choe Son Hui. The statement, reported by North Korean state media, also said Russia would intensify cooperation with North Korea in all areas. It comes as the two countries deepen a partnership that has drawn close attention from Western governments and regional security officials.
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According to the report, Lavrov linked the message to North Korea's military support for Russia in Kursk, where Pyongyang helped Moscow push back Ukrainian forces last year. He said the participation of North Korean military personnel in the operation was evidence of a "militant friendship" built by earlier generations. The message also said Russia and North Korea would continue building a new international order based on genuine equality and national interests.
The report said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent about 14,000 soldiers to Russia in late 2024 to support the effort in Kursk. Russian President Vladimir Putin later declared victory in May 2025 and publicly thanked Pyongyang for its help. The same report said North Korea has also supplied Russia with millions of artillery shells and mortars, as well as ballistic missiles, long-range artillery and multiple rocket launch systems, according to Ukrainian and independent assessments.
The latest exchange underlines how the Russia-North Korea relationship has moved beyond political support into military and strategic cooperation. That matters because it links the war in Ukraine to wider questions about sanctions, arms transfers and regional security in both Europe and East Asia. It also adds to concerns in South Korea and among Western governments that Moscow may be helping Pyongyang advance its weapons programme in return for support on the battlefield.
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The diplomatic language used in the message reflects a broader pattern since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, when Moscow has increasingly framed the conflict in ideological terms. Russian officials have repeatedly described the Ukrainian government as "Nazis", a claim rejected by President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish, and by his Western allies. The latest statement suggests both sides are continuing to present their alignment as part of a wider challenge to the existing international order.
What remains unclear is how far the cooperation will go next, and whether the reported military exchanges will expand further. Zelensky said earlier this month that as many as 50,000 North Korean soldiers could be sent to Russia in a new mobilisation, but that claim was not independently confirmed in the supplied material. The key issue to watch is whether the partnership produces additional battlefield support, new weapons transfers or further diplomatic coordination in the months ahead.
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