Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed gratitude to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the “courage” of its soldiers fighting against Ukraine, Sky News reports. He said “Russia will never forget North Korea’s participation in the fight against modern neo-Nazism.”
Putin met Jong Un during his visit to China, where they jointly attended a military parade in Beijing commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. US President Donald Trump critisized their meeting and said “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un while you conspire against the United States of America.”
“Battle with neo-Nazism”
“Russia will never forget North Korea’s participation in the fight against modern neo-Nazism. We will not forget the losses suffered by your armed forces and the families of your soldiers,” said Putin.
In response, Kim thanked the Russian ruler for the personal meeting and declared that North Korea would “do everything” to fulfill its “brotherly duty” and support Russia.
North Korean soldiers on the frontline
South Korean intelligence had previously reported that around 2,000 North Korean troops were killed in combat. Currently, North Korea plans to send an additional 6,000 soldiers to Russia as part of a third deployment rotation.
Since October last year, North Korea has sent approximately 13,000 military personnel to support Russia’s military operations. North Korea itself reported that during the first and second stages of troop deployment to Russia, it lost about 350 soldiers.