The Russian president has praised his North Korean counterpart during a phone call between the two leaders
Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for backing Moscow in the Ukraine conflict, the Kremlin has said.
In a phone call between the two on Tuesday, Putin praised Kim for Pyongyang’s assistance in the liberation of Russia’s Kursk Region, which Ukrainian forces seized last August. The two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation under the countries’ strategic partnership agreement and agreed to maintain direct contacts.
Putin “highly appreciated” the Pyongyang’s support in repelling Kiev’s incursion and the “courage, heroism and selflessness” shown by the North Korean soldiers, the press release reads.
Pyongyang’s mission in the Kursk Region was launched in connection with a bilateral treaty signed in June 2024, which includes mutual defense clauses.
Close ties between Russia and North Korea, which date back to the Soviet era, have been given a new impetus since the start of the Ukraine conflict, with Pyongyang expressing firm support for Moscow’s effort to defend its national interests, particularly when it comes to NATO expansion.
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Pyongyang has described Kiev’s troops which had entered Kursk Region as “neo-Nazi” forces and said it took part in the Russian operation in order to help thwart an “adventurous political and military attempt of the Western forces and the Ukrainian authorities” to turn the tide in the broader conflict.
According to the Kremlin, Putin also briefed Kim ahead of the much-anticipated talks with US President Donald Trump scheduled for August 15, with the Ukraine conflict expected to top the agenda.
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