On Thursday, North Korea\’s leader, Kim Jong Un, and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged letters, vowing to fortify their diplomatic ties and conveying mutual hopes for success in countering what Kim termed as imperialistic dominance and external pressure. Pyongyang\’s state media reported this development.
These correspondences were dispatched in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between North Korea and Russia, and they followed Kim\’s rare visit to Moscow a month earlier, during which discussions on military cooperation were held, as reported by Reuters.
In his letter, Kim expressed great contentment with the \”open and thorough\” discussions during their meeting, committing to elevating their relations to new heights. He also extended his wishes to Putin for successfully resisting Western pressure, particularly concerning the situation in Ukraine.
\”I hope that the Russian people, who are striving to build a strong nation, will always achieve victory and honor in safeguarding their country\’s sovereignty, dignity, security, and peace. This entails countering the persistent hegemonic policies and anti-Russia strategies designed to isolate and suppress Russia by imperialist powers,\” read Kim\’s letter, as quoted by Reuters.
On the other hand, Putin regarded their recent meeting as further proof of the developing relations. He expressed confidence that implementing the agreements reached would contribute to expanding constructive bilateral cooperation, improving the well-being of both nations\’ citizens, and ensuring security and stability in the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia as a whole.
Kim\’s visit had raised concerns in the United States that a reinvigorated Moscow-Pyongyang partnership could potentially enhance Russia\’s military presence in Ukraine and provide Kim access to missile technology prohibited under UN resolutions, according to reports by Reuters.
Washington had alleged that North Korea had supplied weapons to Russia for its involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, including artillery shells, shoulder-fired rockets, and missiles. Nevertheless, both Pyongyang and Moscow had denied such arms transactions and pledged to deepen their cooperation in the defense sector.
In the previous month, Kim initiated undisclosed measures to further enhance the relationship with Russia after his recent visit, despite warnings from foreign rivals that any cooperation in the realm of military weaponry could lead to adverse consequences.
Experts had speculated that during Kim\’s six-day visit last week, North Korea and Russia likely discussed deals related to prohibited arms transfers and other forms of cooperation. They suggested that both nations were determined to significantly bolster their ties while concurrently confronting Western nations.
Kim underscored the importance of broadening bilateral cooperation across diverse domains, with the objective of making a substantial contribution to the well-being of their respective populations.
