Russia's Lavrov says North Korea's nuclear status is a 'closed issue'

(Reuters) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Moscow viewed the notion of “denuclearising” North Korea as a “closed issue” as it understood Pyongyang’s logic of relying on nuclear weapons as the foundation of its defence.

Lavrov, answering a question on his ministry’s website, said Russia would stand alongside North Korea in resisting what he said the U.S. portrays as “expanded nuclear deterrence” alongside South Korea and Japan in the Asia-Pacific region.

“This is clearly a real and extremely serious threat to regional security,” Lavrov wrote. “In these conditions the very term of ‘denuclearisation’ as applied to North Korea has lost all meaning. For us, this is a closed issue.”

Russia has forged closer diplomatic and military ties with North Korea since invading Ukraine in February 2022 and Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have visited each other’s countries.

Ukrainian experts have produced evidence that missiles produced in North Korea, subject to international sanctions for many years, have been deployed against Ukrainian targets. Moscow and Pyongyang both deny any illicit arms trade or shipments.

North Korea has said it will never abandon its reliance on nuclear weapons to ensure its security against South Korea and the United States, which stations some 24,000 troops on South Korean territory. The two sides regularly stage joint drills.

North Korea tested new tactical ballistic missiles this month as leader Kim Jong Un called for stronger conventional weapons and nuclear capabilities.

In his comments, Lavrov said Russia strongly disagreed with the “senseless” imposition of sanctions by Western countries. Before its invasion of Ukraine, Russia had for many years signed on to U.N.-backed sanctions over Pyongyang’s nuclear tests.

Lavrov said Russia would stand together with North Korea in “confronting a joint adversary” and “consistently strengthen friendship and cooperation” with Pyongyang.

(Reporting by Ron Popeski)