Putin Reaffirms Ties with North Korea Ahead of Trump Summit
Putin praises Pyongyang's military aid and labour support as both nations agree to deepen cooperation ahead of his Alaska meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reaffirmed strong ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their latest call, ahead of his planned summit with US President Donald Trump in Alaska.
In a statement, the Kremlin said both leaders pledged to expand their "friendship, good-neighbourliness and cooperation," with Putin praising Pyongyang's military aid, including missiles and artillery shells, supplied for Russia's operations in Ukraine.
The call came as Russia has made recent gains on the eastern front in Ukraine, advancing near Dobropillia and pushing 10km further in a short span of time. According to Western intelligence, at least 10,000 North Korean troops have joined Russian forces on Ukrainian soil.
With many Russian servicemen killed, wounded or tied up on other fronts, South Korean intelligence reports that Moscow is increasingly depending on North Korean labourers to support construction and logistics, often under conditions described by the workers as "slave-like."
Putin’s deepening alliance with Pyongyang underscores Moscow’s strategic pivot to partners outside the West as it seeks manpower and military supplies amid the protracted conflict in Ukraine.
This topic was reported by BBC.
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