Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday thanked North Korea for sending troops to combat alongside Russia in Moscow’s warfare towards Ukraine and vowed to not overlook their sacrifices.
Putin’s feedback got here simply hours after North Korea confirmed for the primary time that it had deployed troops to combat Ukrainian forces.
Russia mentioned two days earlier that its troops had totally reclaimed the Kursk area, which Ukrainian forces seized final 12 months. Ukrainian officers have denied Russia’s declare and mentioned that the operation in sure areas of Kursk is ongoing.
In a press release, Putin praised North Korean troops who he mentioned fought “shoulder to shoulder with Russian fighters, defended our Motherland as their very own.”
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Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked North Korea for sending troops to combat alongside Russia in Moscow’s warfare towards Ukraine. (Sputnik/Kristina Kormilitsyna/Kremlin through REUTERS)
“The Russian folks will always remember the heroism of the DPRK particular forces,” Putin mentioned. “We are going to all the time honor the heroes who gave their lives for Russia, for our frequent freedom, preventing aspect by aspect with their Russian brothers in arms.”
Earlier Monday, North Korea’s Central Army Fee mentioned the nation’s chief, Kim Jong Un, had despatched troops to Russia to “annihilate and wipe out the Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers and liberate the Kursk space in cooperation with the Russian armed forces.” North Korean troops ultimately made “an necessary contribution” to Russia seizing the border territory, the fee mentioned.
Whereas this was North Korea’s first official affirmation that its troops had been deployed to Russia, it has repeatedly expressed its unwavering help of Russia’s warfare towards Ukraine.
U.S., South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence officers have mentioned North Korea deployed 10,000-12,000 troops to Russia final fall in its first involvement in a significant armed battle because the Korean Conflict within the early Fifties.
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Putin promised to not overlook the sacrifices of North Korean troops despatched to assist Russia combat Ukrainian forces. (Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Pictures)
Putin and Kim mentioned the deployment of North Korean troops was made below a mutual protection treaty signed in June 2024 that requires each nations to make use of all accessible means to supply instant army help if both is attacked.
The 2 U.S. adversaries have moved considerably nearer to one another in recent times.
Along with its deployment of troops, North Korea has been supplying a lot of typical weapons to Russia. South Korea and the U.S. are involved that Russia might reward North Korea with army and financial help, together with by transferring high-tech weapons applied sciences that may bolster its nuclear weapons program.
Kim citing North Korea’s position in Russia regaining management of the Kursk area suggests his pressing want to obtain what he desires from Russia, together with its delicate army applied sciences and a strong safety dedication to North Korea, in line with Moon Seong Mook, an analyst for the Seoul-based Korea Analysis Institute for Nationwide Technique.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned Monday that Russia might present army help to North Korea if crucial in accordance with the protection treaty, Russian state media reported.
The deployment of North Korean troops was made below a mutual protection treaty signed in June 2024. (Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Kremlin through Reuters/File Photograph)
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North Korea and Russia didn’t disclose what number of North Korean troopers had been despatched to Russia or what number of casualties they suffered. However final month, South Korea’s army assessed that roughly 4,000 North Korean troopers had been killed or wounded within the Russia-Ukraine warfare. The South Korean army additionally mentioned North Korea despatched about 3,000 extra troops to Russia earlier this 12 months.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry on Monday referred to as on North Korea to withdraw its troops from Russia instantly, arguing that the North’s help of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine poses a grave provocation to worldwide safety. Ministry spokesperson Koo Byoungsam additionally referred to as the North’s deployment of troops “an act towards humanity.”
If Russia’s retaking of Kursk is confirmed, it will deprive Ukraine of key leverage in U.S.-brokered efforts to barter an finish to the warfare by exchanging its positive factors for some Russia-occupied land in Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned Saturday he doubts Putin desires to finish the warfare. Only a day earlier than, Trump had mentioned Ukraine and Russia had been “very near a deal.”
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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