Kim Jong Un Expresses Pride Over North Korea-Russia Partnership In Putin Letter
Kim Jong Un reaffirms North Korea’s close ties with Russia.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed pride in the close relationship between Pyongyang and Moscow in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, state media reported on Sunday. The message comes as North Korea continues to deepen its strategic partnership with Russia, including military cooperation linked to Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Kim wrote that he was proud of the opportunity to work with Putin to advance relations between the two countries. According to an English-language report by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, Kim expressed confidence in the future of bilateral ties and referred to the shared history of struggle between the two countries. He also expressed confidence that Russia would prosper and protect its territorial integrity under Putin's leadership.
North Korea has emerged as an important partner for Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Pyongyang has provided military support to Moscow, including troops, while analysts have linked the cooperation to economic benefits and access to military technology. The growing partnership has drawn international attention because of its potential implications for the security situation in East Asia and Europe.
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Putin also sent a letter 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 "unprecedentedly high level of comprehensive strategic partnership". He also noted that the two countries were cooperating across multiple sectors and working together on regional security and stability.
The exchange comes amid continuing allegations about North Korean military support for Russia. Ukraine recently accused Moscow of using North Korean ballistic missiles in a strike that killed at least nine people and injured dozens. Kyiv has also alleged that tens of thousands of North Korean troops could be deployed to Russia, although it has not provided evidence supporting the figure or a specific deployment timeline.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also urged South Korea to provide air defence systems to help protect against Russian missile attacks. The request has so far not received a reported response from Seoul. Meanwhile, the latest messages between Kim and Putin underscore the increasingly close relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang as both countries face growing international pressure over their military cooperation.
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