North Korea, Russia Reaffirm Ties on Korean Liberation Day Anniversary
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed deepening of ties on Sunday, Aug. 16, as Moscow-Pyongyang military cooperation continues to grow. The exchange came alongside President Donald Trump’s sudden halt of US-South Korea joint drills and as Putin visited the disputed Kuril Islands for the first time on Aug. 13.
On North Korea’s Korean Liberation Day anniversary, Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed his country’s close ties with Pyongyang in a message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang deepened after Soviet soldiers fought against Japan during World War II, according to Putin. Meanwhile, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for talks with North Korea to prevent any possible conflict and urged the formal end of the 1950-1953 Korean War, which concluded with a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty.
North Korea rejected South Korea’s overtures and deemed US-South Korean military exercises to be provocations. In response, the Russian military ship Pallada arrived in North Korea’s Wonsan port for a goodwill visit on August 15. The US and South Korea had long held joint military drills, with South Korea hosting the largest US military base overseas.
The increased cooperation between Russia and North Korea comes amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, with North Korea providing troops, weapons, and strategic materials to Russia.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
