Kim says North Korea-Russia relations at "new high" in letter to Putin

KYODO
December 31, 2024

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a letter that relations between their countries have reached a "new high" while pledging to strengthen bilateral military ties, state-run media said Tuesday.

In the letter sent Monday to commemorate the New Year, Kim referred to Putin as his "dearest friend and comrade," the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (front L) and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shake hands at Pyongyang International Airport on June 19, 2024. (KNS
Kim wished Putin "greater success in his responsible and heavy state leadership activities," while expressing hope that 2025 will be "recorded as the first year" of Russia's "war victory in the 21st century," according to KCNA.

Pyongyang has dispatched troops to Russia to support its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

In December, North Korea said its defense cooperation pact with Russia, called the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, took effect. The agreement, signed in June by Kim and Putin, includes a provision committing to mutual assistance if either nation comes under attack.