North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has finally commented on his troops’ involvement in Russia’s three-year-long war against Ukraine, after sending nearly 12,000 troops in support of Vladimir Putin
North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un has committed unwavering support for Russia’s “just cause” in their invasion into Ukraine.
Marking this bombshell revelation, this is the first time Pyongyang have admitted to a strategic defence partnership and to sending troops to bolster Moscow’s offensive.
State-run KCNA reported Kim said: “The army and people of the DPRK will invariably support and encourage the just cause of the Russian army and people to defend their sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity in keeping with the spirit of the treaty on the comprehensive strategic partnership between the DPRK and Russia.”
US and South Korean officials had previously accused Kim of dispatching 12,000 North Korean soldiers to assist Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war efforts.
This comes as western officials estimate around 1,000 of the troops have died by mid-January. If the numbers are accurate, the North Korean losses are completely unsustainable.
The strategic pact inked by Kim and Putin has set off alarm bells across the US, Japan, and South Korea, heightening tensions with plans for joint drone manufacture flagged by Japanese press for commencement within the year.
In parallel, Ukrainian President Zelensky has noted a resurgence of North Korean troops at the Russian front despite retreats due to severe losses, painting a grim picture of these forces as sacrificial pawns hailed by their enigmatic leader, reports the Express US.
Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump is apparently engaged in back-channel dialogues with Putin aimed at negotiating a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine.
During a Friday interview on Air Force One, Trump played coy about his communications with Putin, saying he “better not say” how often they’ve been on the blower. “He wants to see people stop dying,” Trump spilled to The New York Post.
But Kremlin mouthpiece Dmitry Peskov was all hush-hush, claiming he could “neither confirm nor deny” any chinwags between the bigwigs. Meanwhile, Trump and Zelensky are pencilled in for a pow-wow to thrash out Kyiv’s stance in the scrap.
Beeb bods from the West reckon that a hefty slice of the 11,000 North Korean squaddies sent over—around 1,000—have copped it in the last three months. But so far, it’s radio silence from both North Korea and Russia on the body count.
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