SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said Russia “will prevail” in its fight against what he described as “imperialists,” state news agency KCNA said on Tuesday, in remarks seen to be aimed at Ukraine and its Western supporters, such as the US.
North Korea has forged closer ties with the Kremlin and backed Moscow after it invaded Ukraine last year, including its proclamation later of having annexed parts of Ukraine that most UN members condemned as illegal.
“We send warm wishes to you, the Russian army and the people of Russia for their holy fight to preserve world peace,” the agency quoted Kim as telling Russian president Vladimir Putin in a letter.
Kim also congratulated Putin on Tuesday’s Victory Day anniversary that celebrates the 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany, saying Russia would continue to protect its “autonomy” and the “stability of the region”.