In a greeting to the Russian President and people on their national day, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un voiced his “full support” for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“Full Support” Against the West
A press release by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) released on Monday, quoted Kim assuring Russia of the North’s “full support and solidarity” in what seems to be a reference to its war against Ukraine.
Pyongyang pledged support for Moscow’s “all-out struggle for implementing the sacred cause to preserve the sovereign rights, development and interests of their country against the imperialists’ high-handed and arbitrary practices and to realise the international justice.”
“It is the fixed stand of the [North Korean] government to ceaselessly develop good neighbourly and cooperative relations,” Kim stressed.
The autocratic leader also affirmed his willingness “to strive for closer strategic cooperation between the North Korea and Russia, holding hands firmly with the Russian President, in conformity with the common desire of the peoples of the two countries to fulfil the grand goal of building a powerful country and reliably defend global peace and security.”
Supporting Russian Propaganda
North Korea and China have both been accused of amplifying Russian propaganda since the onset of the Ukraine War. Last year, it echoed Russian claims that the US is using the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to “contain rivals,” such as China and Russia, and “gratify [its] wild ambition for world domination.”
In fact, last year, it also recognised the independence of the Russia-backed Ukrainian breakaway territories of Donetsk and Luhansk.
North Korea Extends “Full Support” to Russia’s Struggle Against Western “Imperialists”
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said that the two countries’ friendship has “weathered all trials of history” for centuries and is a “precious strategic asset.”
June 12, 2023
IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGESNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, Russia, in 2019.