North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to “unconditionally support” all policies and decisions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to state media reports on Friday, underscoring the deepening alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow.

 

 

 

In a letter published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim said he felt a sense of “true comradely relations” from Putin and described ties between North Korea and Russia as the “most precious.” He added that “close cooperation” between the two countries would continue across multiple sectors.

 

 

 

 

“I will unconditionally respect and unconditionally support all your policies and decisions, and I have a willingness to always stand with you for the sake of you and your Russia,” Kim wrote, stressing that the commitment would be “constant and permanent.”

 

 

 

The message was sent in response to a letter from Putin, although Russian state media did not disclose its contents.

 

 

 

Kim and Putin also exchanged New Year messages, during which Kim said the two countries had shared “blood, life and death” in the war in Ukraine. Putin, in turn, praised what he called the “invincible friendship” between the two nations, KCNA reported.

 

 

 

North Korea has reportedly sent thousands of troops to fight alongside Russian forces, according to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies, as Moscow continues its invasion of Ukraine, now entering its fourth year. Pyongyang is also believed to have supplied Russia with artillery shells, missiles and long-range rocket systems.

 

 

 

In recent years, North Korea has intensified missile testing, a move analysts say is aimed at improving strike precision, deterring the United States and South Korea, and testing weapons that could later be exported to Russia.

 

 

 

In exchange for its support, analysts say Russia has provided North Korea with financial assistance, military technology, as well as food and energy supplies, further cementing their strategic partnership.