“We are deeply grateful to our Korean friends for their principled position regarding the events that have now unfolded in Ukraine as a result of the West’s course of advancing NATO to the east and encouraging an openly racist regime to exterminate everything Russian,” Lavrov said.

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“Very close contacts have been established between the military of the two countries and along the security services line – this also allows us to solve practically significant and important tasks for the security of our and your citizens.”

Choe said the two countries needed to keep deepening their ties under a treaty signed by their leaders in June, which includes a mutual defence clause.

Moscow, which sent its army into Ukraine in February 2022, has neither denied nor directly confirmed the presence of North Korean troops on Russian soil. Putin has said it is for Russia to decide how to implement the treaty with Kim.

Choe, in televised comments and speaking through an interpreter, accused the United States and South Korea of plotting a nuclear strike against her country.

She provided no evidence to back her assertion, but spoke of regular consultations between Washington and Seoul at which she alleged such plotting took place.

Meanwhile, when asked on Friday whether Seoul could send weapons to Ukraine in response to North Korea aiding Russia, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said all possible scenarios were under consideration.

Cho told a press conference in Ottawa that Seoul would be watching the level of participation by North Korean troops in Russia and what Pyongyang received from Moscow in return.

South Korea has provided non-lethal aid to Ukraine, including mine clearance equipment, but has so far resisted Kyiv’s requests for weapons.

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“All possible scenarios are under consideration,” Cho said when asked whether Seoul might send arms to Ukraine.

“Specifically, we will be watching the level of the [North Korean] forces’ participation in the war, and what will be the quid pro quo that North Korea will be receiving from Russia. We will take all those [factors] into consideration before making specific decisions,” he said.

The North is expected to be compensated by Moscow with military and civilian technology, as it races to launch a spy satellite and upgrade its intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities, a South Korean presidential official said on Wednesday.