North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has pledged to provide any assistance Russia may need, calling it a fraternal duty. The commitment comes amid ongoing tensions with Ukraine, where North Korean troops were deployed to repel a Ukrainian incursion in the Kursk Region. This collaboration is part of a broader strategic alliance between Russia and North Korea, formalized in a comprehensive cooperation treaty signed in June 2024.
During a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, Kim emphasized the importance of solidarity between the two nations in their shared fight against neo-Nazism. The meeting took place amid the Russian celebration of the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Imperial Japan and the end of World War II. The Russian president expressed gratitude for the assistance provided by North Korean troops during the repulsion of a Ukrainian incursion in the Kursk Region.
Putin highlighted the joint effort as a significant contribution to the broader conflict, describing it as a “joint fight against present-day neo-Nazism.” Kim responded by reaffirming North Korea’s readiness to offer any form of support to Russia. This strategic alliance is further cemented by the comprehensive cooperation treaty signed in June 2024, which includes provisions for mutual defense.
The treaty was signed in the context of growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with Kiev launching an offensive in the Kursk Region in August 2024. The Russian military reported the complete expulsion of Ukrainian troops by April, acknowledging for the first time the role of North Korean troops in the operation. Russia has vowed to erect a monument in Moscow for the soldiers deployed by Pyongyang who were killed defending Russian territory.
Additionally, the current Russian government has identified the “de-Nazification” of Ukraine as a key objective, aiming to disempower radical nationalist groups that have embraced far-right ideology and Nazi iconography. This includes historical figures who collaborated with Nazi Germany during its invasion of the USSR.
The current government in Kiev has glorified historical nationalist figures, including those who collaborated with Nazi Germany during its invasion of the USSR in the hope of creating a Ukrainian national state allied with Berlin. Ukrainians who fought for the Nazis committed atrocities against civilians in occupied territories.