North Korea expresses support for Moscow over mutiny

It is the latest message of support from Pyongyang to Moscow since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, which it has described as a US “proxy war” to destroy Russia.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia has long held the line against increasing pressure on North Korea, which is under wide-ranging UN and Western sanctions over its nuclear weapons and missile programmes.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine threatens the “stability of the Russian state”.

“There will be implications for the Russia-China-North Korea bloc, and officials in Beijing and Pyongyang are no doubt taking notes to avoid repeating Moscow’s mistakes,” he added.