North Korea’s Kim vows to support Russia’s war effort in Ukraine – Firstpost

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised at a meeting with Russia’s defense chief that his country would “unconditionally support” Russia’s war in Ukraine, the North’s state media reported Saturday.

A Russian military delegation led by Defense Minister Andrei Belousov arrived in North Korea on Friday amid growing international concern over the two countries’ expansion of cooperation after North Korea sent thousands of troops to Russia last month.

The official Korean Central News Agency said Kim and Belousov reached “a satisfactory consensus” at a meeting on Friday on strengthening the strategic partnership and defending the sovereignty, security interests and international justice of both countries in the face of rapidly changing international security environments .

Kim said North Korea “will without exception support the Russian Federation’s policy of defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity from the imperialists’ hegemonic ambitions,” KCNA said.

North Korea has supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling it a defensive response to what both Moscow and Pyongyang say is NATO’s “reckless” eastward advance and U.S.-led moves to eradicate Russia’s position as a powerful state.

Kim criticized the US decision in early November to allow Ukraine to attack targets inside Russia with US-supplied long-range missiles as a direct intervention in the conflict. He called recent Russian attacks on Ukraine “a timely and effective measure” and shows Russia’s resolve, KCNA said.

According to estimates from the United States, Ukraine and South Korea, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 soldiers to Russia and some of them have already started fighting on the front lines. The United States, South Korea and others say North Korea has also supplied artillery systems, missiles and other conventional weapons to replenish Russia’s depleted weapons stockpile.

Both North Korea and Russia have not officially confirmed the movements of North Korean troops and have steadfastly denied reports of arms shipments.

South Korea, the United States and their partners fear that Russia could give North Korea advanced weapons technology in return, including help building more powerful nuclear missiles.

Last week, South Korean national security adviser Shin Wonsik said on a local SBS television program that Seoul had determined that Russia had supplied air defense missile systems to North Korea. He said Russia also appeared to have provided North Korea with economic aid and various military technologies, including those needed for the North’s efforts to build a reliable space-based surveillance system.

Belousov also met with North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang Chol on Friday. During a banquet later the same day, Belousov said the two countries’ strategic partnership was crucial to defending their sovereignty from aggression and arbitrary actions by the imperialists, KCNA said.

In June, Kim and Putin signed a treaty requiring both countries to provide immediate military assistance in the event of an attack. It is considered the largest defense agreement between the two countries since the end of the Cold War.