North Korea’s Kim hails ‘comrade’ Putin in New Year’s greeting

North Korean person expresses anticipation that Moscow volition decision ‘neo-Nazism and execute a large victory’ successful Ukraine.

North Korean person Kim Jong Un has paid homage to Russian President Vladimir Putin successful a New Year’s connection extolling deepening ties betwixt Pyongyang and Moscow, authorities media has reported.

In a missive to people the New Year, Kim extended his greetings to his “dearest person and comrade” Putin, the Russian radical and Russian subject personnel, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported connected Tuesday.

Kim wished Putin “greater occurrence successful his liable and dense authorities enactment activities and the Russian radical prosperity, wellbeing and happiness”, KCNA said.

Kim expressed willingness to “design and propulsion up with caller projects” involving Pyongyang and Moscow aft their “meaningful journey” successful 2024, KCNA said, and anticipation that Russia would decision “neo-Nazism and execute a large victory” successful Ukraine.

Putin has claimed without grounds that his 2022 penetration of Ukraine was indispensable to support Russian speakers from a “neo-Nazi dictatorship”.

North Korea and Russia person importantly ramped up ties since the commencement of the war.

In June, Kim and Putin signed a communal defence pact during the Russian leader’s archetypal sojourn to North Korea successful astir a quarter-century.

Pyongyang has since past sent much than 10,000 troops to assistance Russian forces successful Ukraine, according to South Korean and Ukrainian officials.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this period that his forces had killed oregon wounded much than 3,000 North Korean soldiers successful Russia’s Kursk region.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service has enactment the fig of estimated North Korean casualties astatine astir 100 killed and 1,000 injured.