Kim Jong-un has vowed to “hold hands” with Vladimir Putin in a message that marked another sign of deepening ties between North Korea and Russia. In a message to Putin to mark Russia’s national day on Monday, the North Korean ruler pledged his regime’s “full support” for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the official KCNA news agency said. North Korea has triggered international concern with its conspicuous attempts to move closer to the Kremlin, blaming the US and its allies for the war in Ukraine. In July 2022, North Korea recognised two Russian-backed breakaway “people’s republics” in eastern Ukraine as independent states, with officials raising the prospect of North Korean workers being sent to there to help in construction and other sectors. Only North Korea and Syria recognise the Russian annexations.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 13, 2023 09:53 UTC