North Korean and Russian leaders reaffirm alignment over Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pose in Pyongyang, North Korea, on June 19, 2024. | Kristina Kormilitsyna, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP
By
Associated Press
08/12/2025 10:56 PM EDT
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call to discuss their deepening ties and war efforts against Ukraine, the countries' state media said Wednesday, ahead of Putin's planned meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska.
Putin during the call on Tuesday praised the 'bravery, heroism and self-sacrificing spirit' displayed by North Korean troops as they fought with Russian forces to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk border region, North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said.
Putin also shared with Kim information about his upcoming talks with Trump scheduled to take place Friday in Alaska, according to Russia's TASS news agency, citing the Kremlin. The North Korean reports did not mention the Trump meeting.
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