Putin says ‘courageous’ North Korean soldiers joined Ukraine war at Kim’s initiative

Putin made the comments during bilateral talks with Kim at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse after attending China’s “Victory Day” military parade in Beijing.

The statement marks the first time the Russian president has spoken about the involvement of North Korean troops in the Ukraine war.

Putin said ties between Russia and North Korea had taken on a “special trusting and friendly character, an allied character.”

He noted that North Korean special forces had participated in the battle for Russia’s Kursk region against Ukrainian troops.

“On your initiative, as is well known, your special forces took part in the liberation of the Kursk region, in full accordance with our new agreement,” Putin said, lauding North Korean soldiers as having fought “courageously and heroically.”

The Russian president also asked Kim to convey his “warmest words of gratitude to all the people” of North Korea.

Kim said he intended to focus on the “prospects for developing relations” with Moscow, adding: “I am very pleased that today we have the opportunity to talk about our relations, about interaction, about prospects, about the development of these relations, and that I have the opportunity to meet with you alone.”

Putin and Kim first met in 2019, when the North Korean leader traveled to Russia’s Far Eastern city Vladivostok.

In September 2023, Kim traveled to Russia’s Far East again to meet with Putin, who paid his second trip to Pyongyang last year in June, when they signed a comprehensive strategic partnership, requiring each other’s military support in case of third party attack.

Later, Pyongyang deployed thousands of troops to Russia in the Ukraine war.

According to South Korea, Pyongyang lost some 2,000 troops in the fight against Kyiv.