Washington: A State Department spokesperson reiterated on Thursday that North Korea's troop deployment to Russia and Moscow's reciprocal support to North Korea "must end." Tommy Pigott, the department's principal deputy spokesperson, emphasized these points following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's pledge to "unconditionally" support Russia in the war against Ukraine during a meeting with Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang earlier this week.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Pigott expressed ongoing concerns about North Korea's direct involvement in the war. He stated at a press briefing that "North Korea's military deployment to Russia and any support provided by the Russian Federation to the DPRK in return must end." Pigott also noted that third countries, such as North Korea, "bear responsibility" for their role in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
During the meeting with Shoigu, Kim Jong-un declared that Pyongyang would "unconditionally support the stand of Russia and its foreign policies in all the crucial international political issues, including the Ukrainian issue," as reported by the Korean Central News Agency. Kim further mentioned that his country would "responsibly" observe the articles of the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty signed in June of last year.