North Korea: North Korean leader Mr. Kim Jong Un and Russian President Mr. Vladimir Putin have exchanged letters, vowing to advance their ties, Pyongyang’s state media KCNA said.
Mr. Kim has wished Mr. Putin a victory over what he called hegemony and pressure from “imperialists,” as per the state media. KCNA reported that the exchange of letters marked the 75th anniversary of bilateral relations.
In his letter, Mr. Kim said he was “very satisfied” with the talks that had taken place in Russia, describing the discussions as “candid comprehensive.” Mr. Kim promised to bring relations to a “new height” and wished Putin victory in his struggle to “frustrat(e) the imperialists’ persistent hegemonic policy and moves to isolate and stifle Russia.”
Russia has been isolated from other countries because of its invasion of Ukraine, and North Korea also does not have a good relationship with most of the nations.
Last month, Mr. Kim visited Russia’s Far East for a meeting with Mr. Putin. There were worries that Pyongyang might be considering supplying arms to Russia’s military in exchange for banned weapons technology, violating United Nations resolutions regarding its nuclear weapons programme.
After their meeting, the two men mentioned that they discussed military collaboration, covering North Korea’s satellite programme and the conflict in Ukraine.
In his recent letter, Mr. Putin stated that the summit showed the ongoing positive development of the bilateral relationship between the two countries, building upon their strong past relationship.
The US has accused North Korea of giving weapons to Russia to use in Ukraine, like artillery shells, shoulder-fired rockets, and missiles. Both Pyongyang and Moscow have denied making any arms deals.
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