North Korea’s “strong support” for Russia’s war in Ukraine strengthens both countries’ resolve to fight the Western nations, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a speech to foreign ministers. North Korean officials on Thursday, according to an article that appeared in North Korean state media.
Putin did not go into detail about the nature of Pyongyang’s support in what he called Russia’s “special military operation”. But US officials last year said North Korea had sold millions of missiles and artillery shells to Russia for use on the battlefield in Ukraine.
“Solidarity with Russia on important international issues highlights our common interests,” Putin said in his speech, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The Russian leader’s comments on his invasion of Ukraine came in a congratulatory message to North Korea on the 70th anniversary of the armistice in the Korean War, known as Victory Day in the North. , although the grueling conflict ended in a stalemate and the peninsula was divided.
Putin specifically cited Soviet pilots, who he said “made tens of thousands of combat flights” to help “destroy the enemy”, KCNA said.
