North Korea’s commitment is now unwavering. Leader Kim Jong Un has reaffirmed Pyongyang’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, pledging to help Moscow win the “holy war.”
This declaration, reported by state media on Monday, comes as a series of senior Russian officials have visited Pyongyang in recent days, including Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov.
Is a strengthening of military ties possible?
North Korea will “fully support as always the policy of the Russian Federation aimed at defending national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security interests,” said Kim Jong Un to Andrei Belousov, according to the North Korean news agency KCNA.
The leader expressed his conviction that the Russian army and people would undoubtedly win in this “sacred and just war.”
Both parties have indicated discussions on strengthening military ties, with Andrei Belousov stating 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 included a concert, fireworks, and an air show.
“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,” reported KCNA.
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 exchange, according to experts, North Korea receives financial aid, military technology, as well as food and energy resources from Russia, allowing Pyongyang to bypass heavy international sanctions on its prohibited nuclear programs.
In 2024, the two countries signed a military pact obliging each state to provide “immediate military assistance” in the event of an attack on the other.
