Kim Jong Un backs Putin, cites strategic partnership
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- Kim Jong Un sent a congratulatory message to President Vladimir Putin on Russia’s National Day, expressing full support for Moscow’s domestic and foreign policies.
- North Korea and Russia are deepening an alliance based on a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, pledging to “always be with” each other.
- Russian officials and North Korean officials visited a Soviet Army monument and cemetery and attended a reception at the Russian embassy to mark the holiday.
- North Korea has deployed thousands of troops to assist Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to KCNA.
- Washington and Seoul have accused Pyongyang of supplying artillery shells, missiles and other military materiel for use in Ukraine, which both Moscow and Pyongyang deny.
- Bridge linking Russia and North Korea, slated for completion on June 19, is expected to facilitate trade and help North Korea evade sanctions on its nuclear and missile programmes, analysts say.
Why it matters: The pledge deepens North Korea’s alignment with Russia, giving Moscow a political ally amid its war in Ukraine while providing Pyongyang with a conduit to evade sanctions and secure trade, potentially undermining Western pressure on both regimes and bolstering its strategic leverage.
