In a strongly worded joint statement, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the High Representative of the European Union have condemned the escalating military cooperation between North Korea (DPRK) and Russia.
The statement specifically decried the deployment of North Korean troops to assist Russia in its war against Ukraine, calling it a “dangerous expansion of the conflict” with significant implications for both European and Indo-Pacific security. The ministers highlighted that the DPRK’s export of ballistic missiles, artillery shells, and military equipment to Russia—along with Russia’s training of North Korean soldiers—violates multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), and 2270 (2016).
“The DPRK’s direct support for Russia’s war of aggression represents a grave threat to global security,” the statement read. The group also expressed alarm over potential Russian support for North Korea’s illegal weapons programs, including weapons of mass destruction, which further destabilize the Korean Peninsula.
The Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to Ukraine, vowing to support its sovereignty and territorial integrity as it defends itself against Russian aggression. They urged the DPRK to withdraw its troops and halt all forms of assistance to Russia, while calling on Russia to immediately end its military operations in Ukraine and its cooperation with North Korea.
The ministers also encouraged the global community to unite against the DPRK-Russia partnership and warned of further coordinated actions, including additional economic sanctions, to address the growing threat.
This joint statement underscores the unity of international powers in opposing the alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow, as the conflict in Ukraine continues to have far-reaching global consequences.