Foreign ministers of G7 countries to condemn Russia-North Korea military cooperation
G7 will condemn the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea (photo: Getty Images)
The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) countries intend to strongly condemn the expansion of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea at their meeting this week, according to Kyodo.
An unnamed source quoted a draft communique that will be published on the last day of the three-day talks on the Italian island of Capri.
The meeting of foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) countries is taking place against the backdrop of concerns that the anticipated supplies of North Korean weapons to Russia in violation of UN Security Council resolutions could assist Russian forces in their protracted war in Ukraine.
According to the source, in the communique, the ministers will demand an immediate halt to the export of ballistic missiles from North Korea to Russia, while reaffirming their strong support for Ukraine.
It is expected that the G7 countries will reaffirm their commitments to strengthen Ukraine's cybersecurity, with ministers emphasizing that new technologies, including artificial intelligence, could be used as a tool to undermine democracy, the source said.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will take part in the upcoming G7 meeting to be chaired by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is also expected to join.
North Korean missiles in Russia
In recent months, North Korea has regularly transferred artillery shells and ballistic missiles to Russia, in violation of UN Security Council sanctions against Pyongyang. In return for the arms supplies, North Korea intends to receive ballistic missile technology from Russia.
According to the Pentagon, occupiers have already used North Korean missiles several times in 2024 to strike several regions of Ukraine, indicating a sharp deficit of such weapons in their production.
As stated by the head of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office, Oleksandr Filchakov, on March 14, Russian forces have fired approximately 50 Hwasong 11 (KN-23/24) missiles produced by North Korea across Ukraine.
