Kim Jong-un Pledges Deeper Ties with Moscow

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stated in a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would “expand and deepen” cooperation with Russia, state-run KCNA television reported on Tuesday.

The letter from the DPRK leader was a response to the congratulatory message Putin sent to Pyongyang on the 78th anniversary of North Korea’s founding.

Kim stated that the Pyongyang government is firmly committed to expanding cooperation with Russia “in a comprehensive manner” based on friendship, mutual assistance and what he described as the allied relations between the two countries.

Kim also wrote that he is confident of Russia’s victory in the current “sacred war to defend the country’s security interests and international justice”, a phrase that apparently referred to Russia’s war in Ukraine. He pledged his “unwavering support” to Putin and the Russian people.

These statements come at a time when Moscow and Pyongyang have grown significantly closer, with North Korea having sent troops in 2024 to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine and deepened military cooperation under a mutual defense pact.

On Sunday, Kim conveyed a similar message to Chinese President Xi Jinping, stating that North Korea would cooperate with China to further develop their traditional friendship and advance their common socialist cause.

(Reuters, im)