North Korea’s commitment is now unwavering. Leader Kim Jong Un has reaffirmed Pyongyang’s support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, pledging to assist Moscow in achieving victory in its “holy war.”
This statement, reported on Monday by state media, comes as a series of top Russian officials have visited Pyongyang in recent days, including Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov.
Is a strengthening of military ties possible?
North Korea will “always fully support Russia’s policy of defending national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security interests,” Kim Jong Un told Andrei Belousov, according to the North Korean news agency KCNA.
The leader expressed his “conviction that the Russian army and people will undoubtedly win victory in this sacred and just war.”
Both parties have discussed strengthening military ties, with Andrei Belousov indicating that Moscow was ready to sign a cooperation plan covering the period 2027-2031.
Kim Jong Un, Andrei Belousov, and Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin also attended the inauguration of a memorial honoring North Korean soldiers killed in Ukraine. The ceremony featured a concert, fireworks, and an aerial parade.
“Heroic and suicidal explosions”
The public was moved by representations of “bloody battles” but also of “hand-to-hand combat defying death and heroic and suicidal explosions chosen without hesitation by young soldiers,” KCNA reported.
North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers, as well as missiles and ammunition, to support Russia in its war against Ukraine. South Korea estimates that about 2,000 North Koreans have been killed in this conflict.
In return, experts say North Korea receives financial aid, military technology, as well as food and energy resources from Russia, allowing Pyongyang to circumvent heavy international sanctions on its banned nuclear programs.
In 2024, the two countries signed a military treaty requiring each state to provide military assistance “without delay” in the event of an attack on the other.
