Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to visit North Korea on Wednesday: Moscow

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit North Korea on 18-19 October, Moscow’s foreign ministry said on Monday, as ties between the two countries solidify. The invitation comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Russia last month amid Western fears the isolated country could supply Moscow with weapons for its assault in Ukraine. “From 18-19 October, at the invitation of the (North Korean) foreign ministry, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will pay an official visit to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” the ministry said. Lavrov is currently in Beijing ahead of an expected visit to China by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has turned to Beijing for trade and support in the face of growing isolation from the West. Russia and North Korea, historic allies, are both under rafts of global sanctions — Moscow for its Ukraine offensive, and Pyongyang for its nuclear weapon tests. Moscow is believed to be interested in buying North Korean ammunition to continue fighting in Ukraine, while Pyongyang wants Russia’s help to develop its internationally condemned missile programme.