North Korea, Russia Reaffirm Commitment to Partnership Accord

A handout photo made available by the Russian Foreign Ministry press service shows Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (R) and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui (L) during an unveiling ceremony of the plaque to mark Kim Il Sung visit to USSR in 1949, at Yaroslavsky railway station in Moscow, Russia, 01 November 2024.  EPA/RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT
A handout photo made available by the Russian Foreign Ministry press service shows Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (R) and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui (L) during an unveiling ceremony of the plaque to mark Kim Il Sung visit to USSR in 1949, at Yaroslavsky railway station in Moscow, Russia, 01 November 2024. EPA/RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT
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North Korea, Russia Reaffirm Commitment to Partnership Accord

A handout photo made available by the Russian Foreign Ministry press service shows Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (R) and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui (L) during an unveiling ceremony of the plaque to mark Kim Il Sung visit to USSR in 1949, at Yaroslavsky railway station in Moscow, Russia, 01 November 2024.  EPA/RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT
A handout photo made available by the Russian Foreign Ministry press service shows Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (R) and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui (L) during an unveiling ceremony of the plaque to mark Kim Il Sung visit to USSR in 1949, at Yaroslavsky railway station in Moscow, Russia, 01 November 2024. EPA/RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT

The foreign ministers of North Korea and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to implement provisions agreed in June between the leaders of the two nations, North Korean state media KCNA reported on Saturday.
North Korea Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and her Russian counterpart Sergei Viktorovich Lavrov met in Moscow, amid rising concerns about Pyongyang's involvement in Moscow's war in Ukraine, Reuters said.
NATO has joined the governments of South Korea, the US and Ukraine in confirming Pyongyang's dispatch of troops to Russia, saying that North Korean military units had been deployed to Russia's Kursk region on the border with Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June agreed that the two countries would provide military and other assistance if either were attacked, as part of a strategic partnership accord.



German Foreign Minister Assures Kyiv of Support on Visit Ahead of US Vote

04 November 2024, Ukraine, Kyiv: A screenshot from a video shows German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arriving in Ukraine and being welcomed by German Ambassador in Kyiv Martin Jaeger. (Jörg Blank/dpa)
04 November 2024, Ukraine, Kyiv: A screenshot from a video shows German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arriving in Ukraine and being welcomed by German Ambassador in Kyiv Martin Jaeger. (Jörg Blank/dpa)
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German Foreign Minister Assures Kyiv of Support on Visit Ahead of US Vote

04 November 2024, Ukraine, Kyiv: A screenshot from a video shows German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arriving in Ukraine and being welcomed by German Ambassador in Kyiv Martin Jaeger. (Jörg Blank/dpa)
04 November 2024, Ukraine, Kyiv: A screenshot from a video shows German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arriving in Ukraine and being welcomed by German Ambassador in Kyiv Martin Jaeger. (Jörg Blank/dpa)

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Kyiv on Monday pledging Berlin's continued backing for Ukraine, amid disquiet over the future of Washington's support as the US election looms.

Baerbock said Ukraine, facing its third winter of war, needs support to ensure its very survival as North Korea's military involvement and Russian airstrikes on civilian infrastructure exacerbate the conflict.

Her visit comes on the eve of the US presidential election, in which a win for Republican candidate Donald Trump could cast doubt on future support from Ukraine's top military backer.

"We are countering this brutality with our humanity and support, so that Ukrainians can not only survive the winter, but so that their country can survive. Because they are also defending the freedom of all of us in Europe," said Baerbock, embarking on her eighth visit to Ukraine.

Germany has emerged as Ukraine's top donor of military aid in Europe and has closely coordinated its support with Washington.

However, if Trump beats Democrat Kamala Harris in Tuesday's election, this close coordination could falter. Trump has criticized the level of US support for Kyiv and declined to say he wants Ukraine to win the war, which he says he would end quickly by pushing for a negotiated settlement.

The German foreign minister, who was last in Ukraine in May, is due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha while in the capital.

Baerbock said Germany had recently extended its emergency energy aid to Ukraine by an extra 170 million euros ($185 million) in response to bombed-out heating plants and power lines.

Since August, Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine, in what Kyiv officials say is Moscow's attempt to destroy critical infrastructure needed for heating during winter.

Russia will have to pay for the billions of euros in damage it has caused, said Baerbock, but until that happens, the Group of Seven (G7) will support Kyiv with some $50 billion in loans.

Under incumbent President Joe Biden, the US finalised its $20-billion portion of that amount with a pledge to pay it out in December, timing meant to shield the loan funds from a potential claw-back from Trump.