On June 25, 2026, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs came out in full defense of North Korea, bluntly telling South Korea to immediately stop its pressure campaign and lift all sanctions against North Korea.
According to a report by the South Korean newspaper ChoSun on June 26, 2026, numerous analysts noted that Russia's public defense comes as Russia and North Korea strengthen their ties, deepening a "brotherhood through thick and thin." This unfolds amid rumors that South Korea has secretly dispatched troops to assist Ukraine. Interestingly and coincidentally, Russia chose to make these statements exactly on the 76th anniversary of the Korean War. In that past conflict, North Korean leader Kim Il-sung launched an invasion of South Korea with the backing of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.