North Korean leader expresses ‘full support’ of Russian invasion of Ukraine
Kim Jong Un praised Russian people for 'protecting security of their country'
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un expressed “full support and approval” of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in a letter to Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
Kim sent congratulations to Putin on Russia Day - a national holiday celebrated on June 12 to commemorate adoption of the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Russian Federation which marked the country’s "independence" from the USSR.
“[The Russian people] achieved great success in carrying out the just cause of protecting their dignity and security of their country, overcoming all sorts of difficulties and problems. The Korean people express their full support and approval to them,” the message was quoted by TASS.
The North Korean leader concluded his message by wishing good health to Putin and well-being to the Russian nation. North Korea was one of the five countries that voted against the UN resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier in May, the US urged the UN to impose additional sanctions against North Korea for renewing its ballistic missile launches but Beijing and Moscow vetoed the move. China and Russia in return accused Washington of stoking tensions on the Korean peninsula at the UN General Assembly session on Wednesday, with Moscow's deputy ambassador to the UN, Anna Evstigneeva, calling for the sanctions to be lifted.