The G7 foreign ministers issued a joint communique reaffirming their commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of the DPRK and condemning Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. They expressed "grave concern" over cryptocurrency thefts tied to North Korea, which experts say fund its weapons development. The ministers also reiterated strong support for Ukraine and denounced military aid to Russia from North Korea, Iran and China. Seoul's intelligence service estimates Pyongyang has sent weapons and about 15,000 troops to Russia since 2024, and Russian officials recently visited Pyongyang to discuss closer cooperation.
G7 Foreign Ministers Reaffirm Push for North Korea's Complete Denuclearization
The G7 foreign ministers issued a joint communique reaffirming their commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of the DPRK and condemning Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. They expressed "grave concern" over cryptocurrency thefts tied to North Korea, which experts say fund its weapons development. The ministers also reiterated strong support for Ukraine and denounced military aid to Russia from North Korea, Iran and China. Seoul's intelligence service estimates Pyongyang has sent weapons and about 15,000 troops to Russia since 2024, and Russian officials recently visited Pyongyang to discuss closer cooperation.
05:52 PM, 11/13/2025Security
G7 ministers renew call for North Korea's denuclearization
The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven issued a joint communique after a two-day meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, reiterating their commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and condemning Pyongyang's illicit nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Who participated: Representatives from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union signed the statement.
"We strongly condemned the DPRK's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and reaffirmed our commitment to the complete denuclearization of the DPRK," the communique said.
The ministers also voiced "grave concern" about cryptocurrency thefts attributed to Pyongyang, which experts say provide a significant funding stream for the North's weapons development.
North Korea formally declared itself a nuclear-armed state in 2022 and has since rebuffed proposals to give up its arsenal. In September, leader Kim Jong Un signaled a willingness to resume talks with Washington but made clear that surrendering his regime's nuclear capabilities would not be negotiable.
"If the United States abandons its vain obsession with denuclearization, acknowledges reality and desires genuine peaceful coexistence with us, there is no reason why we should not sit down with the United States," Kim told North Korea's parliament.
The communique also noted tensions in diplomatic messaging after U.S. President Donald Trump described North Korea as "sort of a nuclear power," acknowledging that the country possesses "a lot of nuclear weapons."
In addition to denuclearization, the G7 ministers reiterated their "unwavering" support for Ukraine and condemned military assistance to Russia from North Korea, Iran and China.
"We condemned the provision to Russia of military assistance by DPRK and Iran, and the provision of weapons and dual-use components by China, a decisive enabler of Russia's war," the statement said.
Seoul's National Intelligence Service estimates that North Korea has sent weapons and roughly 15,000 troops to Russia since 2024, primarily to help recapture territory in Russia's Kursk region. In return, Pyongyang is believed to be receiving financial assistance and advanced military technology that could strengthen its illicit weapons programs.
State-run Korean Central News Agency reported last week that a delegation of Russian military officials visited Pyongyang to discuss deepening cooperation.