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North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un has once again affirmed his “unconditional support” for Russia’s war against Ukraine during a meeting with a top Russian official.
The authoritarian ruler made the comment during talks with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang on Wednesday, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim reiterated his “unconditional support for the stand of Russia and its foreign policies in all the crucial international political issues including the Ukrainian issue”, KCNA reported.
The two countries’ ties have strengthened in recent years, with Pyongyang sending thousands of troops to Russia to help with its war against Ukraine.
The North Korean soldiers have been deployed in Russia’s Kursk region, parts of which were seized by the Ukrainian army in a surprise offensive last August.
During their meeting, Shoigu and Kim discussed the prospect of rebuilding areas in the Kursk region, according to Russia’s state Tass news agency.
Russia claimed in April that it had fully reclaimed Kursk, though Ukraine insists it still has troops present there.
‘Illegal’ cooperation
During Wednesday’s talks, both sides also outlined steps to commemorate the contribution made by North Korean soldiers.
Speculation about North Korea’s deployment of troops to Russia first arose at the end of 2024, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and South Korean officials accusing Pyongyang of sending soldiers to support Moscow’s war efforts.
However, it wasn’t until April that Moscow and Pyongyang officially confirmed the presence of North Korean troops on the battlefield.
A monitoring group comprising South Korea, the US, Japan and eight other countries last week classified Russia and North Korea’s military cooperation as “illegal”, saying it flagrantly violates UN sanctions.
The report said their military alliance was allowing North Korea to fund its banned ballistic missile programme.
The group also expressed concern that Russia might also transfer sophisticated technologies to help North Korea enhance its nuclear weapons programme.