Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged his "unconditional support" to Moscow in its ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This development was reported by state media following discussions between Kim and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held in North Korea.

According to BBC, Kim expressed North Korea's backing of "all the measures taken by the Russian leadership" to address what he described as the "root cause of the Ukrainian crisis." Western officials have indicated that North Korea has deployed an estimated 11,000 troops to Russia over the past year to aid in the conflict against Ukraine.

The Russian foreign ministry shared footage on Telegram showing Kim and Lavrov exchanging a handshake and a hug, signifying the strong ties between the two nations. This renewed military support from North Korea occurs as US President Donald Trump has resumed military aid to Ukraine. Trump recently informed NBC News about a deal with NATO to provide Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, following an uptick in Russian aerial offensives.

North Korea initially acknowledged its troop deployment to Russia in April, some time after Ukraine and Western nations reported significant troop movements from North Korea to the Russian-Ukrainian front. Kim's alliance with Russian President Vladimir Putin, formalized in an accord signed in June last year, includes mutual support in the event of external "aggression."

In addition to military personnel, North Korea has also committed to sending thousands of workers to assist in the reconstruction of Russia's war-stricken Kursk region, as noted by Moscow's security chief last month.