North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed his country would “invariably support” Russia’s war in Ukraine as he met Russia’s defense chief, the North’s state media reported yesterday.
A Russian military delegation led by Russian Minister of Defense Andrei Belousov arrived in North Korea on Friday, amid growing international concern about the two countries’ expanding cooperation after North Korea sent thousands of troops to Russia last month.
The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that Kim and Belousov reached “a satisfactory consensus” on boosting strategic partnership and defending each country’s sovereignty, security interests and international justice in the face of the rapidly changing international security environments in a Friday meeting.
Photo: AFP
Kim said that North Korea “will invariably support the policy of the Russian Federation to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity from the imperialists’ moves for hegemony,” KCNA said.
“It is an exercise of the right to self-defense for Russia to take resolute action to make the hostile forces pay the price,” Kim was quoted as saying.
Kim slammed a US decision last month to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with US-supplied longer-range missiles as a direct intervention in the conflict.
He called recent Russian strikes on Ukraine “a timely and effective measure” to demonstrate Russia’s resolve, the news agency said.
According to US, Ukrainian and South Korean assessments, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops to Russia and some of them have already begun engaging in combat on the frontlines.
North Korea and Russia have not formally confirmed the North Korean troops’ movements, and have steadfastly denied reports of weapons shipments.
South Korea, the US and their partners are concerned that Russia could give North Korea advanced weapons technology in return, including help to build more powerful nuclear missiles.
Last week, South Korean national security adviser Shin Won-sik told a local TV program that Seoul assessed that Russia has provided air defense missile systems to North Korea.
He said Russia also appeared to have given economic assistance to North Korea and various military technologies, including those needed for the North’s efforts to build a reliable space-based surveillance system.
In June, Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty requiring both countries to provide immediate military assistance if either is attacked.
It is considered the two countries’ biggest defense deal since the end of the Cold War.