Latest news with #colonialoccupation
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Putin praises ‘heroic' North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine in letter to Kim Jong-un
Vladimir Putin has praised North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine, describing them as 'heroic' in a letter to Kim Jong-un, according to reports. The Russian president also reportedly spoke of the 'bonds of militant friendship' built between the two countries when the Soviet Red Army units and North Korea 's forces fought alongside each other to liberate Korea from Japanese rule. In the latest sign of the increasingly close ties between the two leaders, the letter was sent to mark the anniversary of the end of Japan's colonial occupation, the Guardian reported on Friday, citing North Korean state media. 'The bonds of militant friendship, goodwill and mutual aid which were consolidated in the days of the war long ago remain solid and reliable even today,' it stated, according to news agency Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). 'This was fully proved by the heroic participation of the DPRK [the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the official name for North Korea] soldiers in liberating the territory of Kursk region from the Ukrainian occupationists.' Russian forces launched a counteroffensive in Russia 's Kursk region earlier this year, with the aim of eliminating Kyiv's final positions there, after Ukraine managed to establish a foothold in the region last year. The chair of Russia's Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, delivered Mr Putin's letter when he met Mr Kim in Pyongyang on Thursday during an official visit, according to KCNA. It reported Mr Volodin thanked Mr Kim for 'dispatching excellent soldiers to the Kursk liberation operations for driving out the Ukrainian aggressors', adding that Russia will always remember the North Korean troops 'who fought at the cost of their lives in Russia'. It comes after Mr Putin held a phone call with Mr Kim to 'reaffirm' their close relationship ahead of his summit with Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday. Mr Putin is set to meet Mr Trump for the first time since the US president's return to the White House to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine, a meeting that would be closely watched by world leaders. Mr Putin spoke with Kim on Tuesday ahead of his summit with Mr Trump, pledging 'closer contact in the future' and discussing issues of mutual concern, according to KCNA. North Korea sent around 15,000 troops to fight in the war in Ukraine and supplied large quantities of military equipment, including artillery and ballistic missiles, in support of Mr Putin's war efforts against Ukraine, according to South Korean assessments. Mr Kim has also agreed to send thousands of military construction workers and deminers to Russia's Kursk region, a deployment South Korean intelligence believes could happen soon. North Korea and Russia have strongly supported each other since Mr Putin launched his so-called special military operation in Ukraine in February 2021. The two economically and diplomatically isolated countries have since signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership treaty to strengthen their military alliance. Mr Putin made a trip to North Korea in June 2024, his first visit to the country in 24 years, when the two signed the treaty.
France 24
5 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Putin hails North Korean troops as 'heroic' in letter to Kim
In a letter marking the anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese rule, Putin recalled how Soviet Red Army units and North Korean forces fought together to end Japan's colonial occupation. "The bonds of militant friendship, goodwill and mutual aid which were consolidated in the days of the war long ago remain solid and reliable even today," Putin said in a letter revealed by North Korean state media. "This was fully proved by the heroic participation of the DPRK soldiers in liberating the territory of Kursk Region from the Ukrainian occupationists," he said, according to news agency KCNA. "The Russian people will keep forever the memories of their bravery and self-sacrifice." Putin added that the two countries would continue to "act jointly and effectively defend their sovereignty and make a significant contribution to establishing a just and multi-polarised world order." Russia and North Korea have been forging increasingly closer ties, with the two countries signing a mutual defence pact last year, when Putin visited the reclusive state. In April, North Korea confirmed for the first time that it had deployed a contingent of its soldiers to the front line in Ukraine, alongside Russian troops. South Korean and Western intelligence agencies have said Pyongyang sent more than 10,000 soldiers to Russia's Kursk region in 2024, along with artillery shells, missiles and long-range rocket systems. Around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded fighting for Russia, Seoul has said. 'Excellent soldiers' The letter from Putin came alongside a visit by a Russian delegation to Pyongyang, where the speaker of the Duma thanked Kim for sending "excellent soldiers" to Ukraine, KCNA reported. Vyacheslav Volodin's delegation arrived Thursday and was received by a military honour guard for a visit marking "the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation". Volodin thanked Kim for "dispatching excellent soldiers to the Kursk liberation operations for driving out the Ukrainian aggressors", according to KCNA. He added that Russia would never forget the North Korean troops "who fought at the cost of their lives in Russia." Kim, meanwhile, said the delegation's visit would promote the "development of the DPRK-Russia relations already on a new level." He also mentioned that he had a phone call with Putin two days ago, agreeing to expanded bilateral cooperation and "closer contact and communication between the state leaderships." The call came three days ahead of Friday's summit between Putin and Trump, the first between a sitting US and Russian president since 2021, as Trump seeks to broker an end to Russia's more than three-year war in Ukraine.
