North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed his country’s “unwavering will” to support Russia in a letter of thanks addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, state media reported.
“Pyongyang will always stand by Moscow. It is our choice and our unwavering will,” Kim said in the letter sent on Tuesday, according to the official news agency KCNA.
The two countries signed a mutual defense agreement in 2024, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Pyongyang has since sent ground troops and weapons systems to support Moscow.
The isolated and impoverished country, highly vulnerable to natural disasters, is believed to receive financial aid, food, energy, and military technology in return, according to analysts.
Read more: Kim Jong-un officially declares South Korea the “most hostile state”
“At present, the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] and Russia are closely cooperating to defend the sovereignty of both countries,” Kim added, referring to North Korea by its official name.
South Korean and Western intelligence services estimate that North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to Russia, mainly to the Kursk region, along with artillery shells, missiles, and long-range rocket systems.
According to Seoul, at least 2,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more injured during the conflict.
In the letter, Kim also thanked the Kremlin for congratulating him on his re-election on Sunday as President of State Affairs, the highest position of power in North Korea.
Read more: North Korea inaugurates new neighborhood for families of soldiers killed in the Ukraine war (with video)
“I express my sincere thanks for your warm and heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of my renewed assumption of the heavy responsibilities as President of State Affairs,” he said.
Meanwhile, state media in Minsk reported that Alexander Lukashenko is expected to visit North Korea for a two-day trip aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation. KCNA confirmed the visit but did not specify the date.
Like North Korea, Belarus remains a close ally of Russia in the war against Ukraine.
