North Korea’s Kim tells Putin he is ‘proud’ of strong ties

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed pride in the strong ties between his country and Russia in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to state media. The DPRK-Russia relationship has reached an unprecedented level of comprehensive strategic partnership, Putin stated in his response. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, North Korea has become a crucial ally of the Kremlin, providing military support in exchange for economic benefits and advanced weaponry.

Kim emphasized his belief that Russia would prosper and safeguard its territorial integrity under Putin's leadership. Meanwhile, Ukraine accused Russia of launching ballistic missiles using North Korean technology, resulting in deaths and injuries. Additionally, Ukraine claimed that up to 50,000 North Korean soldiers are reportedly deploying to Russia, though no evidence has been presented to support these assertions.