North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on 8 February vowed to maintain his country’s support for Russia in its war against Ukraine and threatened to bolster his nuclear forces to counter US military cooperation with Japan and South Korea in Asia.
As reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, North Korea’s leader announced that “the army and people of [North Korea] will invariably support and encourage the just cause of the Russian Army and people to defend their sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity in keeping with the spirit of the treaty on the comprehensive strategic partnership between [North Korea] and Russia.”
Western leaders and Ukrainian officials say North Korea has since last fall sent an estimated 11,000 troops to fight alongside of Kremlin troops, mainly in the Russian Oblast of Kursk.
Their current status is uncertain, with some intelligence sources saying many of the troops have been rotated out of the front lines after suffering horrific losses in fighting against Ukrainian forces.
However, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 8 February said Russia’s “cooperation with North Korea will continue to expand.”
Zelenskyy has publicly accused Russia and North Korea of trying to cover up evidence of the deployments by issuing fake papers to North Korean soldiers identifying them as Russian citizens.
The Kremlin and Pyongyang have not commented directly on the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia or the reported high losses.
Kim, speaking at the North Korean Defense Ministry to mark the country’s Army Day, also threatened to build up his nuclear forces and use other “countermeasures” as he blasted the military cooperation between the United States, South Korea, and Japan.
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