North Korean leader Kim Jong Un brought “full support” from Pyongyang to Moscow in a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, June 12, 2023, state media reported.
On the occasion of the National Day of Russia, one of Pyongyang’s few allied countries, Mr. Kim sent a congratulatory message to his counterpart.
The statement, released by North Korea’s KCNA news agency, made no explicit mention of either the invasion of Ukraine or Moscow’s involvement in an armed conflict, instead praising it “Good decision and direction from Mr. Putin […] to counteract the growing threat from enemy forces”.
The North Korean people brings his full support and solidarity with the Russian people in their tireless struggle for upholding the sacred cause of safeguarding the sovereign rights, development and interests of their country against the arbitrary and authoritarian practices of the imperialists.”.
delivery of weapons
North Korea has labeled this conflict as a “Proxy war” Aimed at destroying Russia, the United States condemned Western military aid to Kiev.
In January, Washington accused North Korea of supplying rockets and missiles to the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, which Pyongyang denied.
Washington then claimed in March it had evidence that Moscow was expecting arms from Pyongyang for its offensive in Ukraine in exchange for food aid to North Korea, whose economy and agriculture were in shambles.
As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Russia has long vetoed new sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program and repeated missile launches.