Washington: South Korea and the United States have pledged to collaborate in revealing Russia’s support to North Korea, according to a joint statement released Friday. This comes in response to increasing indications of North Korea deploying troops to Russia for the ongoing conflict against Ukraine. The statement followed the “two plus two” discussions held in Washington involving top foreign and defense officials from both nations.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the meeting took place amid reports of up to 8,000 North Korean troops being stationed in Russia’s western front-line region, with expectations of their imminent deployment to combat zones. This development coincided with North Korea’s firing of a new intercontinental ballistic missile, a move perceived as an attempt to escalate tensions and gain leverage ahead of the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

The joint statement from the “two plus two” talks expressed strong condemnation of the deepening military collaboration between North Korea and
Russia, highlighting unlawful arms transfers and the stationing of North Korean troops in Russia. Both parties committed to identifying measures to tackle the challenges posed by this increased security cooperation and resolved to monitor and expose Russian support to North Korea.

South Korea and the U.S. have accused Pyongyang of supplying weapons to Moscow to support its military actions against Kyiv. Analysts suggest that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may seek Russian assistance to enhance the country’s nuclear and weapons capabilities. The joint statement urged Russia and North Korea to adhere to international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions. Officials also committed to enforcing independent sanctions against both countries and collaborating with the international community to prevent further destabilizing actions.

The two nations strongly condemned North Korea’s recent ICBM test and called for an end to its provocations. They reaffirmed their commitment to the “complete denucleari
zation of the Korean Peninsula,” a goal questioned recently due to its absence from a joint communique of the allies’ annual defense talks. The omission has fueled speculation about a potential shift in U.S. policy towards recognizing North Korea as a nuclear state and focusing on deterring its threats instead of pursuing denuclearization.

During a press conference following the talks, officials from both South Korea and the U.S. reiterated their shared objective of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.