In a message that served as yet another indication of the strengthening connections between Russia and North Korea , Kim Jong-un promised to “hold hands” with Vladimir Putin.
The leader of North Korea promised “full support” for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in a message to Putin on Monday in honour of Russia’s national day. This is according to the official KCNA news agency.
In an English version of the message, Kim stated that “justice is certain to triumph and the Russian people will continue to add glory to the history of victory.”
Accusers have accused Pyongyang of providing weapons to Russia, while it persists in developing its own arsenal of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons despite years of sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council, of which Russia, a permanent member, is a part.
Russia appears to have turned to North Korea and other “rogue” nations in a desperate attempt to skirt sanctions and export controls to secure the weapons it needs to continue its 16-month war against Ukraine.
Kim, who met Putin for the first time in 2019, called for “closer strategic cooperation” between Pyongyang and Moscow. In addition , he would “firmly hold hands” with the Russian leader in their common aim to build “a powerful country”, KCNA said.
Meanwhile , North Korea has triggered international concern with its conspicuous attempts to move closer to the Kremlin, blaming the US and its allies for the war in Ukraine.
Delegation to North Korea
In March, the US said Moscow was sending a delegation to North Korea to offer food – amid reports of food shortages – in exchange for weapons, in violation of security council sanctions.
“As part of this proposed deal, Russia would receive over two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions from Pyongyang,” White House national security council spokesperson John Kirby said at the time.
Putin has responded to Kim’s overtures by in turn calling for closer ties. In an exchange of letters last August to mark liberation day – the day when the Koreas achieved liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945 – Putin expressed that Russia and North Korea would “continue expanding comprehensive and constructive bilateral relations”.
In July 2022, North Korea declared recognition of two Russian-backed breakaway “people’s republics” in eastern Ukraine as independent states. Additionally , Officials actively discussed the possibility of dispatching North Korean workers to aid in construction and other sectors in those regions. Only North Korea and Syria recognise the Russian annexations.