Kim pledges 'steadfast support' for Russia in birthday greeting to Putin

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to provide "steadfast support" to Russia in a congratulatory message on President Vladimir Putin's birthday, describing Moscow's war in Ukraine as "sacred," according to the official Korean Central News Agency on Wednesday.

Since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2022, North Korea has become a key ally of the Kremlin, sending troops to support Moscow's war effort in exchange for economic benefits and military technology.

South Korea's intelligence agency estimated last year that around two thousand North Korean soldiers were killed in the war, while the latest assessment put the number of dead and wounded at approximately six thousand.

In his message, according to the official Korean Central News Agency, Kim said, "I am pleased that I share a good friendship with you, and that we are opening a new page in developing relations between our two countries."

He added, "I reaffirm my steadfast support for you and the Russian Federation," noting that he is "firmly convinced that the sacred war waged by the Russian people... will inevitably end in their victory," in his words.

This message comes amid tensions between the South Korean government and Ukraine, after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers into Seoul's custody.

Seoul condemned the disclosure, stating that the operation was supposed to remain secret, complicating Kyiv's requests for weapons supplies.

South Korea has not yet provided lethal weapons to Ukraine due to a domestic ban on providing military aid to countries engaged in wars.