North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed their strong relationships and war efforts against Ukraine. Government media of both countries gave this information on Wednesday.
The conversation between the leaders of the two countries took place at a time when Putin is scheduled to have a meeting with US President Donald Trump in Alaska. North Korea’s official ‘Korean Central News Agency’ (KCNA) reported that Putin on Tuesday praised the “bravery, valor and self-sacrifice spirit” shown by North Korean soldiers during the phone conversation on Tuesday.
The forces of North Korea fought with the Russian army to prevent Ukrainian infiltration into the Kursk border region of Russia. Russia’s news agency Tas quoted the Kremlin (office of the Russian President) as saying that Putin also shared his upcoming talks with Trump in Alaska on Friday with Kim.
North Korea’s media did not mention the meeting of Trump and Putin. According to KCNA, Kim told Putin that Pyongyang would fully support “all the steps taken by the Russian leadership in future”.
He discussed advancing relations in all areas under the Strategic Partnership Agreement signed during the summit last year. Kim has made Moscow a priority of her foreign policy since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Kim’s goal is to get out of diplomatic isolation and expand relations with countries opposing America. According to South Korean assessment, North Korea has sent around 15,000 soldiers to Russia since last year in support of Putin’s war efforts against Ukraine and has also provided large amounts of military equipment including cannon and ballistic missiles.