Politics North Korea assures Russia of full support in Ukraine war
During his visit to Pyongyang, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un assured Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov of his continued support in the war against Ukraine.
30.11.2024, 03:51
SDA
Kim was quoted by North Korean state media as saying that the West, led by the USA, had urged Ukraine to attack Russian territory with its long-range weapons and was therefore guilty of "direct military intervention in the conflict".
Russia has the "right to self-defense" and should "act decisively to make the enemy forces pay the price", Kim said. North Korea's government, army and people would "always support the Russian Federation's policy of defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity against the imperialists' hegemonic ambitions".
Beloussov had previously also met his North Korean counterpart No Kwang Chol and, according to the Russian state news agency Tass, emphasized that military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang would be expanded. Both countries ratified a comprehensive security agreement this year, which includes a mutual defense pact.
According to estimates by South Korea and the USA, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 soldiers to Russia. Some of them are said to already be involved in battles around the Russian border region of Kursk, which the Ukrainians are occupying in response to Moscow's war of aggression. The number of North Korean soldiers could rise to up to 100,000, warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. According to information from South Korea, North Korea is also said to have supplied Russia with heavy artillery such as self-propelled howitzers and multiple rocket launchers.
