North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country would continue to “fully support” Russia and its army as a “fraternal duty” of its treaty with Moscow, state media KCNA reported on Thursday.
Kim held a meeting on Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of China’s celebrations to mark the formal surrender of Japan in World War Two in Beijing.
Kim and Putin flanked Chinese President Xi Jinping at a massive military parade for the first such gathering of the three countries’ leaders since the early days of the Cold War.
Kim’s Beijing trip offered his first-ever chance to meet Putin and Xi together, as well as mingle with the more than two dozen other national leaders who attended the events.
“Comrade Kim Jong Un and President Putin exchanged candid opinions on important international and regional issues,” KCNA said.
Putin “highly praised” North Korean soldiers fighting against Ukraine and Kim expressed thanks, KCNA added.
North Korea has sent soldiers, artillery ammunition and missiles to Russia to support Moscow in its war against Ukraine. South Korea’s intelligence agency believes North Korea plans to deploy another 6,000 troops, with about 1,000 combat soldiers already in Russia.
North Korea is believed to be planning another such deployment, according to a South Korean intelligence assessment.
Kim and Putin discussed in detail the long-term plans for partnership and reaffirmed their “steadfast will” to elevate bilateral relations to a high level, according to KCNA.
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