North Korea pledges unwavering support for Russia amid tensions
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared during a meeting with Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov that Ukraine's use of Western long-range missiles "is the result of direct military intervention by the United States and Moscow is entitled to fight in self-defence," North Korean agency KCNA reported on Saturday.
According to KCNA, as quoted by Reuters, Kim stated that "the U.S. and the West made Kyiv authorities attack Russia's territory with their own long-range strike weapons," and Russia should take actions to make the "hostile forces pay the price."
- The DPRK government, army and people will invariably support the policy of the Russian Federation to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity from the imperialists' moves for hegemony - Kim added in the KCNA report.
Strengthening relations with Russia
He also announced strengthening ties with Russia "in all areas including military affairs," in line with the strategic partnership agreement signed with Vladimir Putin in June.
Reuters notes that Kim did not mention whether he discussed with Belousov the issue of deploying North Korean soldiers in Russia, estimated to be over 10,000 in number.
According to South Korean intelligence, Pyongyang has already delivered over 10,000 containers of ammunition and weapons to Russia, including self-propelled howitzers and multiple rocket launchers.
