N. Korea’s Kim pledges ‘invariable support’ in Putin birthday letter

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed unwavering support for Russia in a birthday letter to President Vladimir Putin, calling Moscow's war in Ukraine "sacred," according to state media. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Pyongyang has become a vital ally to the Kremlin, sending troops to assist in the conflict in exchange for economic gains and military technology.

South Korea's intelligence agency estimated around 2,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed in the war, with a more recent figure suggesting 6,000 casualties or injuries. In the letter, Kim reaffirmed his "invariable support" for Russia, stating that the Russian people's "sacred war of justice" would undoubtedly culminate in victory.

The letter comes amid tensions in South Korea's relations with Ukraine after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed that two captured North Korean soldiers had been handed over to Seoul's custody. Seoul has condemned the move as violating confidentiality, complicating Kyiv's efforts for military aid. South Korea has thus far refrained from supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine due to a domestic ban on aiding countries engaged in war.

Zelensky has speculated that Pyongyang may dispatch additional troops to Russia to bolster its campaign against Ukraine.