Kim Jong Un Pledges Deeper Ties With Russia in Message to Putin
Kim Jong Un told Vladimir Putin he will broaden cooperation with Russia and backed Moscow's 'sacred war', state media reported.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said his government will broaden cooperation with Russia "in a comprehensive way", in a message to President Vladimir Putin carried by state media on Tuesday.
The reply, sent on Monday, responded to Putin's congratulations on North Korea's 78th founding anniversary. Kim said the two countries would expand and deepen their joint work, describing the relationship in terms of friendship, mutual assistance and alliance ties.
Kim also expressed confidence in Russia's victory in what he called a "sacred war for defending the security interests of the country and international justice" — wording that appeared to refer to the war in Ukraine. He offered his "invariable support" for Putin and the Russian people.
The exchange comes amid markedly closer relations between Moscow and Pyongyang. North Korea sent troops to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine in 2024, and the two sides have deepened military cooperation under a mutual defence pact.
Kim struck a similar note in a message to Chinese President Xi Jinping, published by state media on Sunday. In that reply, he said North Korea would work with China to further develop their traditional friendship and advance their shared socialist cause.
Both messages answered congratulatory letters from Putin and Xi marking September 9, when North Korea observed the 78th anniversary of its founding.