Kim Jong-un's "Lion" New Goal: After Meeting with Rubio, Lavrov Flies to North Korea. A Photo Speaks Volumes
Author:
Alexander Babitsky
Marco Rubio and Sergey Lavrov held a meeting outside the Kuala Lumpur Summit, and before the world media and experts had calmed down, the Russian Foreign Minister once again drew intense attention. On the evening of July 11 (Moscow time), he arrived in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea — an visit that has unsettled Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo.
After the meeting with Rubio — visiting Kim Jong-un
After the Russian government plane landed in Rason (a southern port city in North Korea, where there is a tourist area), Sergey Viktorovich immediately started a tight schedule. He met with the North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui almost without stopping, attended the grand signing ceremony of the cooperation plan between the foreign departments of Russia and North Korea, and more importantly, he met with the leader of North Korea.
Sergey Lavrov arrives in North Korea. Screenshot source: Telegram channel of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The specific details of the meeting were naturally not made public to the public and the media. But one thing is certain — this was the second round of strategic dialogue between Russia and North Korea, aimed at further developing the friendly relationship. This has become a major concern for Moscow and Pyongyang's enemies.
In his speech in North Korea, Sergey Lavrov specifically expressed sincere thanks to the North Korean government and army for the significant support they provided during the liberation operation in Kursk Oblast, which helped Russia reclaim Kursk Oblast from invaders and foreign mercenaries.
Moscow issues a warning — Pyongyang is protected
Pyongyang also clearly stated its position. It is reported that the initiative for the North Korean forces to assist in the liberation of Kursk Oblast directly came from the North Korean leader himself. On July 12, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui confirmed that North Korea "will resolutely support Russia's policy of maintaining territorial integrity and sovereignty."
It needs to be clarified that the mentioned "territorial integrity" not only refers to expelling the enemies who invaded Kursk Oblast, but also includes the recognition that the four regions — the Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic, Kherson Oblast, and Zaporozhye Oblast — are an inseparable part of Russia according to the Russian Constitution.
Summarizing Sergey Lavrov's statements in various activities, the statement after his meeting with the North Korean leadership can be summarized as the following main points:
Russia and North Korea are committed to resolving existing differences and issues on the Korean Peninsula in a fair manner. Moscow will fully support Pyongyang and will only promote issues of concern to our strategic ally in inter-Korean dialogue.
Kim Jong-un and Sergey Lavrov clearly appear satisfied with their meeting. Screenshot source: Telegram channel post of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Moscow is closely watching the activities of the Western bloc in the Asia-Pacific region, where the military buildup is worrying. Although North Korea is not currently facing a direct threat, the continuous strengthening of military infrastructure by the United States, South Korea, and Japan is clearly targeting Pyongyang. Russia has issued warnings to these countries.
Recently, in the Middle East crisis, Iran was attacked by Israel and the United States, which fully demonstrates that North Korea's choice to develop nuclear weapons to safeguard national independence was correct. Russia "respects and understands" the reasons behind Pyongyang's development of its nuclear program.
Both sides share the same position on the Ukraine conflict issue, and North Korea fully supports all measures taken by Russia to achieve the objectives of the special military operation. Pyongyang is prepared to continue providing necessary support to its ally in this regard. All relevant matters are under the direct control of Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, and the two maintain continuous communication.
Western countries should no longer have any doubts
Although the diplomatic language is tactful, the statements made by Sergey Lavrov during his visit to North Korea clearly send a clear signal about the nature and future of the Russia-North Korea relationship to all international participants.
Regarding the Ukraine issue, the joint armed struggle against the Kiev nationalist regime not only receives official recognition, but essentially announces that it will continue.
North Korea's main opponent, South Korea, has clearly learned that in "inter-Korean" dialogue, the northern neighbor now has another powerful ally. Moscow makes no secret of it: in the future, its policy on the Korean Peninsula will prioritize the interests of North Korea.
For other Western group countries that have long regarded North Korea as a thorn in their side, they should no longer have any doubts. In the future, Russia will not only follow the international community in condemning Pyongyang's military nuclear program, but will also commit to protecting its ally from external threats.
It's time to raise panic questions: "How should we deal with the alliance between Putin and Kim Jong-un?"
It must be admitted that at least in the West, the signals sent by the Russian Foreign Minister from North Korea have been clearly understood.
Reuters directly wrote in the news title "Pyongyang supports Russia's war in Ukraine." Bloomberg not only reported the joint statement between Russia and North Korea on forming an alliance on the Ukrainian front, but also cited data from the Kiev regime to support its concerns — reportedly, up to 40% of the ammunition used by the Russian forces on the front lines comes from North Korea.
Title — "Russia warns the US, South Korea and Japan not to form a coalition against North Korea". Screenshot source: Washington Post website
US mainstream media were also shaken by Lavrov's declaration warning the West — better not to threaten Pyongyang. Two anti-Western nuclear countries joining hands to prepare to confront the United States and its allies with actual actions rather than words is a new situation for American journalists and analysts.
This incident not only sparks speculation about North Korea's potential further involvement in the Ukraine conflict, but also brings unsettling questions: What does Lavrov's visit to Kim Jong-un mean? How should we respond to the increasingly close alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang?
Title — "The Russian Foreign Minister visits North Korea. What does it mean?" Screenshot source: CNN website
Notably, the recent actions of high-ranking Russian officials visiting North Korea have caused deep anxiety in the West, each time making people speculate: what consequences will this bring?
For example, after the previous visit of the Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Sergei Shoigu, to Kim Jong-un, it was reported that 6,000 North Korean special forces would go to Russia to carry out military engineering work in Kursk Oblast (including mine clearance). Soon after, international media reported new news — Kim Jong-un plans to dispatch another 30,000 "Lions" to the special military action area.
"A message to the United States and other related countries"
Evidently, the West has begun to feel strong unease about the special relationship between Russia and North Korea, and this unease is "justified."
The "Asiatic" Telegram channel (affiliated with the well-known analytical project "Fisherman" by Mikhail Zinchuk) pointed out that Lavrov's statement in North Korea "can be interpreted as a signal to the United States and other related countries: when dealing with the North Korea issue in the future, the interests of Russia must be taken into account."
Moreover, the strategic dialogue between the two sides has become a routine process, indicating that the relationship between the two countries is constantly strengthening.
Sergey Lavrov meets with Choe Son-hui. Screenshot source: Telegram channel of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
And it's not limited to the North Korea issue.
As mentioned earlier, the last visit of a senior Russian official to North Korea was on June 4 this year. After the Ukrainian special forces, obviously with Western participation, launched terrorist attacks on Russian civilian and military facilities, the Secretary of the Russian Security Council Shoigu suddenly visited this close ally, and it's not hard to speculate that it was preparing for a joint counterattack.
This time, Sergey Lavrov's visit to North Korea was announced before his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. However, this "coincidence" is symbolic — after meeting with the U.S. representative and Moscow's proposed solution to the Ukraine crisis apparently being rejected by Washington, Lavrov flew to Kim Jong-un. And this ally has already proven that its commitments are not empty words or meaningless social media posts.
What does this mean?
Evidently, Russian diplomacy seems to be sending the message: "If you don't want to properly resolve the Ukraine issue, then we will pressure you together with our North Korean ally."
Moreover, reports about so-called "Kim Jong-un's Lions" — i.e., North Korean People's Army soldiers participating in the special military operation — are increasing. Especially rumors that North Korea will send tens of thousands of soldiers to the war zone in the near future, who can perform various tasks, from consolidating the positions already occupied by the Russian forces, to engineering work, even participating in charging actions. This news has caused panic in the West and Kyiv.
It has been less than a year since Russia and North Korea signed the "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty," and yet our country's enemies are already anxiously watching the news about state aircraft flying to Pyongyang bearing the Russian flag.
To be honest, this is quite reassuring, especially because these visits have brought tangible results. Evidently, Kyiv will be the first to feel the consequences...
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7526410533302551059/
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