North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reaffirmed Pyongyang’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, vowing to help Moscow achieve victory in its ‘sacred’ war, state media reported on Monday.
Pyongyang has sent missiles, munitions, and thousands of troops to assist Russia in Ukraine, and analysts say Moscow is sending financial aid, military technology, food, and energy to the diplomatically isolated country in return.
A string of high-level Russian officials have visited North Korea in recent days, with Defence Minister Andrey Belousov meeting Kim on Sunday, according to official statements.
“North Korea will as ever fully support the policy of the Russian Federation to defend the national sovereignty, territorial integrity and security interests," Kim told Belousov, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim expressed his belief that the Russian army and people would surely win a victory in the just sacred war, KCNA reported.
Both sides mutually mentioned that their delegations had discussed deeper military ties.
Belousov mentioned ahead that Moscow was ready to sign a cooperation plan covering the period from 2027 to 2031.
Kim, Belousov and Russian parliamentary speaker Vyacheslav Volodin also attended the opening ceremony of a memorial complex honouring North Korean soldiers killed in Ukraine.
In a speech, Kim paid tribute to their “unrivalled bravery, mass heroism, indomitable fighting spirit and noble sacrifice," KCNA said.
He took part in a ceremony to bury the war dead, recalling their ‘last heroic moments’ and covering the remains of a soldier with earth.
The inauguration also included a concert, a fireworks display and an air force flyover, KCNA reported.
The audience was moved by portrayals of "life-and-death bloody battles," "death-defying hand-to-hand fights," and "heroic suicide explosions the young soldiers chose without hesitation," it said.
North Korea and Russia signed a military treaty in 2024, obligating both states to provide military assistance without delay in the event of an attack on the other.
The opening of the memorial coincides with the first anniversary of Moscow’s recovery of parts of Kursk, a region in Russia where Ukraine launched a major counteroffensive starting in mid-2024.
North Korean soldiers were deployed in the area to help beat back the Ukrainian advance.
In his meeting with Belousov, Kim hailed the brilliant war results in liberating Kursk, according to KCNA.
In a letter to Kim, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the extraordinary bravery and genuine devotion of North Korean troops, as reported by KCNA.
Seoul estimates about 2,000 North Koreans have been killed in the Ukraine war.
North Korean troops are said to have been instructed to kill themselves rather than be captured in battle.
.jpg "Obama 'Star Wars' center reflects former president’s vision, legacy")
