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full screen A television shows images from Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un’s meeting in Pyongyang in June. Archive image. Photo: Ahn Young-Joon/AP/TT
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un paid tribute to Russian leader Vladimir Putin in a New Year’s letter, calling him “his dearest friend”.
The two countries have gradually deepened their political and military ties since Russia launched its war of aggression in Ukraine in February 2022.
In the letter, Kim described Putin as his “dearest friend and comrade,” North Korean state news agency KCNA reported. He also expressed a desire to “design and push forward new projects” after what he calls a “meaningful journey” in 2024.
In a possible reference to the war in Ukraine, Kim writes that he hopes 2025 will be the year when “the Russian army and people defeat neo-Nazism and achieve a great victory.”
The US and South Korea have accused North Korea of sending more than 10,000 troops to fight on Russia’s side in Ukraine.
According to North Korean state media, Putin sent a similar message to Kim, praising the close ties between the two countries.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has also sent a New Year’s greeting to Putin, in which he promises to work for world peace.
“No matter how the international situation changes, China will remain steadfast in further deepening reforms,” Xi said, according to state broadcaster CCTV, and continued:
“And promote world peace and development”.