North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed that his country would “fully support” Russia’s army as a “fraternal duty” during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to state media KCNA on Thursday.
The meeting, which took place on Wednesday in Beijing on the sidelines of China’s celebrations marking the formal surrender of Japan in World War Two, was the first time Kim and Putin met together with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The three leaders were seen flanking each other at a massive military parade, marking the first such gathering of their nations’ heads since the early days of the Cold War.
Kim’s Beijing trip provided his first-ever opportunity to meet Putin and Xi simultaneously, while also engaging with more than two dozen other national leaders attending the event. Analysts have described the rare gathering as a significant propaganda boost for the North Korean leader.
State media images showed Kim walking and standing alongside Putin and Xi, smiling during the occasion. North Korea’s state newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, featured extensive coverage of Kim’s visit on its Thursday edition.
“Comrade Kim Jong Un and President Putin exchanged candid opinions on important international and regional issues,” KCNA reported. Putin “highly praised” North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, stating that relations between the two countries are “special ones of trust, friendship and alliance.”
North Korea has already sent soldiers, artillery ammunition, and missiles to Russia in support of Moscow’s war against Ukraine. According to South Korea’s intelligence agency, approximately 2,000 North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia have been killed so far. The agency further revealed that North Korea plans to send an additional 6,000 troops, with about 1,000 combat soldiers already stationed in Russia.
KCNA added that Kim and Putin discussed in detail long-term plans for strategic partnership and reaffirmed their “steadfast will” to elevate bilateral relations to a higher level.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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