North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he would "expand and deepen" joint cooperation with Russia, in a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the state news agency KCNA reported.
In his response to Putin's congratulatory message on the 78th anniversary of the founding of North Korea, Kim said the Pyongyang government has a firm intention to "comprehensively" expand cooperation with Russia, based on friendship, mutual assistance and what he described as the two countries' allied relations.
Kim also said he was confident of Russia's victory in the current "holy war to defend the country's security interests and international justice," using a phrase that appears to refer to Russia's war in Ukraine.
He pledged "unwavering support" for Putin and the Russian people.
The statements come as Moscow and Pyongyang have grown significantly closer. North Korea sent soldiers to fight alongside Russian forces in the war against Ukraine in 2024, and the two countries have deepened military cooperation under a mutual defense treaty.
Kim sent a similar message to Chinese President Xi Jinping in a response published by KCNA on Sunday, stating that North Korea would cooperate with China to further develop their traditional friendship and advance common socialist goals.
Both messages were in response to congratulations sent by Putin and Xi on September 9, when North Korea marked its 78th founding anniversary.
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