North Korea's Kim Jong-un in a message that marked another sign of deepening ties between North Korea and Russia, said he vowed to “hold hands” with Vladimir Putin. In a message to Putin to mark Russia’s national day on Monday, the North Korean ruler pledged his regime’s “full support” for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the official KCNA news agency said.
“Justice is sure to win, and the Russian people will continue to add glory to the history of victory,” Kim said.
Even as Pyongyang continues to develop its own arsenal of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, it has been accused of providing weapons to Russia. North Korea has been seeking closer ties with Russia.
In a message to Putin, Kim said he wanted to work toward "strategic cooperation" between Pyongyang and Moscow. Kim's message stated that "justice is sure to win" and that Russia would "add glory to the history of victory."
North Korea's efforts in moving closer to Kremlin and it blaming the US and its allies for the war in Ukraine have triggered international concern. The US in March said Russia is sending a delegation to North Korea to offer food in exchange for weapons.
“As part of this proposed deal, Russia would receive over two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions from Pyongyang,” White House national security council spokesperson John Kirby said, the Guardian reported.
