NEW DELHI: Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly expressed gratitude to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for the role played by North Korean fighters alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, Putin said Moscow “deeply values the support and sacrifices” made by North Korean units engaged on the battlefield. The statement marks one of the clearest acknowledgments yet of Pyongyang’s direct military involvement in the conflict.
North Korea, already under heavy international sanctions, has steadily expanded defense ties with Russia over the past two years. Reports suggest Pyongyang has supplied artillery shells, missiles, and now personnel to bolster Russia’s war effort against Ukraine.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from Western nations, who warn that such collaboration could escalate the conflict further and undermine global non-proliferation norms. Ukraine has condemned the deployment, calling it a dangerous expansion of foreign involvement in the war.
Analysts believe the public recognition by Putin signals a deepening strategic partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang—potentially giving both countries leverage against the United States and its allies.
