North Korea vows to deepen Russia ties and backs Moscow's 'victory'
Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un (photo: Getty Images)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in a message to Russian leader Vladimir Putin that he would "expand and deepen" cooperation with Russia, Reuters reports.
According to the agency, the letter was sent on Monday in response to Putin's congratulations on the 78th anniversary of North Korea's founding.
In the message, Kim Jong Un said that the government in Pyongyang intends to expand cooperation with Russia "in a comprehensive way" based on friendship, mutual assistance, and what he called allied relations between the two countries.
The North Korean leader also said that he was confident in Russia's victory in what he called the current "sacred war for defending the security interests of the country and international justice." Reuters writes that this wording likely referred to Russia's war against Ukraine.
Kim Jong Un concluded by pledging his "invariable support" for Putin and the Russian people.
The agency added that on Sunday, the North Korean leader sent a similar message to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, saying that North Korea would cooperate with China to further develop their traditional friendship and advance their common socialist cause.
What else is known
In August, Putin said in a message to Kim Jong Un marking the anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule that Russia and North Korea cooperate in all areas and coordinate their efforts for regional security.
According to Forbes, China is concerned about deepening ties between Russia and North Korea, particularly because this could reduce Beijing's influence over Pyongyang and destabilize the situation in the region.
