Kim sent Putin a New Year's greeting, calling their alliance "precious"
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a greeting to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the New Year in which he praised the alliance between the two countries as a "precious common asset".
In the letter, published by the KCNA news agency, Kim described the past year as significant for bilateral relations and highlighted their "full support for each other." He also praised the deep ties between the nations, which he said stand side by side "in the same trench."
In doing so, he indirectly confirmed the participation of North Korean troops on the Russian side in the war against Ukraine - some 15 thousand of them were sent, according to available data.
Relations between Pyongyang and Moscow were further strengthened in 2024 with the signing of the Strategic Partnership Treaty. Kim has indicated that this alliance is not only for the present but also for future generations.
His comments come shortly after Putin himself addressed a similar greeting to Kim.
(pir)