In letter to Putin, Kim lauds North Korean-Russian military ties as 'new high'

In letter to Putin, Kim lauds North Korean-Russian military ties as 'new high'
by Mike Heuer
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 31, 2024

North Korean President Kim Jong Un on Monday declared a "new high" in relations between North Korea and Russia and hoped for a Russian victory over Ukraine in 2025.

Kim expressed his well wishes for the new year in a letter dated Dec. 30 to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"The respected comrade Kim Jong Un extended warm New Year's greetings to comrade Putin, his dearest friend and comrade, offering best wishes to the fraternal Russian people and all the service personnel of the brave Russian army in the name of his own, the Korean people and all the service personnel of the armed forces of the [Democratic People's Republic of Korea]," the state-run [North] Korean Central News Agency reported on Tuesday.

Kim described 2024 as a transformational year in the relations between North Korea and Russia from one of friendly co-existence into "strategic and cooperative" relationship between "sworn friends."

He also expressed hope that 2025 will be the first year of Russia's "war victory in the 21st century" after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Kim referred the Ukrainian government and its troops as "neo-Nazism."

To help achieve that end, Kim expressed "his willingness to design and powerfully push ahead with new projects for accomplishing the cause of building powerful nation [sic] in the two countries and achieving people's well being and prosperity" by "further strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the DPRK and Russia."

Kim concluded the letter by wishing "greater success" for Putin and Russia and prosperity, well being and happiness for the Russian people.

North Korea recently deployed an estimated 11,000 troops to combat zones in Russian to fight against Ukraine after it successfully counterattacked Russian forces in the Kursk area that is located about 120 miles north of Kharkiv, Ukraine.

The troop deployment by North Korea is part of its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty with Russia that Kim and Putin signed in June and took effect in December.

The treaty calls for mutual assistance if either nation is attacked by a foreign entity.

U.S. National Security Adviser John Kirby last week told news media some North Korean soldiers deployed in Russia are committing suicide instead of surrendering to Ukrainian forces.

The North Korean soldiers who committed suicide did so "likely out of fear of reprisal against their families in North Korea in the event that they're captured," Kirby said.

Putin on Friday said at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers have died or been wounded in Russia's Kursk region, which Ukrainian forces attacked in August.