Kim Jong Un pledges ‘invariable support’ for Putin and Russia

Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reaffirmed his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and described Moscow's war in Ukraine as a ‘sacred’ struggle, state media reported on Wednesday.

In a birthday message to Putin, Kim said he was pleased to strengthen ties between North Korea and Russia and expressed confidence in the future of their relationship.

"I reaffirm my invariable support for you and the Russian Federation," Kim said, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

He also said he was "firmly convinced" that what he called the Russian people's "sacred war of justice" would end in victory.

North Korea has emerged as a major supporter of Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Pyongyang has supplied troops and other support to the Russian war effort, receiving economic assistance and military technology in return.

South Korea's intelligence agency estimated last year that about 2,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed in the conflict. A later assessment put the number of North Korean troops killed or wounded at around 6,000.