North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has expressed pride in his country’s close relations with Russia and reaffirmed Pyongyang’s support for Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
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In a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un declared that cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow would continue to deepen. The message was made public by North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency, KCNA.
“I am always proud to look forward to an even brighter future for bilateral relations,” Kim said in the letter. He stressed that ties between the two countries are based on the “common struggle for justice” and the traditions of friendship that unite them.
Kim Jong Un also expressed his belief that Russia would emerge victorious from the conflict in Ukraine under the “wise leadership” of Vladimir Putin.
The North Korean leader’s letter was a response to a message Putin had sent earlier on the occasion of the 81st anniversary of North Korea’s liberation from Japanese occupation. The Russian president described relations between the two countries as being at a “high level” and “unprecedented,” while also referring to a “comprehensive strategic partnership.”
The closeness between Russia and North Korea has grown significantly since the launch of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Pyongyang has become directly involved in the war by sending troops and weapons to support Russian forces, particularly in the Kursk region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently accused North Korea of preparing to send between 30,000 and 50,000 additional troops to support the Russian army. However, Zelensky did not disclose the source of these figures or when such a deployment might take place.
Zelensky has also stated that Russia has used ballistic missiles produced in North Korea during deadly attacks on Ukrainian territory.
In these circumstances, the Ukrainian president has called on South Korea to expand cooperation with Ukraine, primarily in the area of air defense systems. So far, Seoul has not issued an official response to the request.
