North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, describing the relationship between Pyongyang and Moscow as a source of pride.
Kim made the remarks in a message to Putin, according to an English-language report by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency on Sunday.
North Korea has become a major supporter of Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Analysts say Pyongyang has provided military assistance, including troops, in return for economic support and access to Russian military technology.
In his message, Kim said he was proud of the progress made in relations between the two countries and expressed confidence in further cooperation.
He said he looked forward to advancing the bilateral relationship with Putin, describing the partnership as one rooted in a shared history of struggle.
Kim also expressed confidence in Russia’s future under Putin’s leadership, saying he believed the Russian president would successfully safeguard the country’s territorial integrity.
Putin had earlier sent a message to Kim on Friday to mark Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule at the end of World War II.
In his message, Putin described relations between Russia and North Korea as having reached an unprecedented level of comprehensive strategic partnership. He said the two countries were cooperating across several sectors while working together to promote regional security and stability.
The exchange between the two leaders came amid renewed allegations by Ukraine that Russia had used North Korean ballistic missiles in attacks on Ukrainian territory.
Kyiv recently accused Moscow of launching North Korean-made missiles in a strike that reportedly killed at least nine people and injured dozens more.
Ukraine has also claimed that as many as 50,000 North Korean troops could be deployed to Russia, although it has not provided evidence to support the figure or specified when such a deployment could take place.
Following the allegations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged South Korea to provide air defence systems to help counter Russian missile attacks. Seoul has yet to respond positively to the request.
