North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Putin Discuss "Long-term" Cooperation Plans

Strategic Insights -

During their meeting in Beijing on the sidelines of China's military parade, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed "long-term" plans for cooperation between the two nations. The discussions took place hours after the two leaders attended China's large-scale military parade with Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim and Putin reaffirmed their commitment to elevating bilateral relations to a high level, emphasizing their "special ties of trust, friendship, and alliance."

Key Takeaways:

  • Kim and Putin discussed "long-term" plans for cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including defense and economic ties.
  • Putin stated that Russia will "always remember" sacrifices by North Korean troops deployed for Moscow's war with Ukraine.
  • Kim pledged to "fully" support Russia's efforts to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, considering it a "fraternal duty" to provide assistance.
  • The two leaders had an open-minded exchange of views on important international and regional issues.
  • Kim made his debut on the multilateral diplomatic stage by standing alongside Xi Jinping and Putin at China's 80th anniversary celebrations marking the end of World War II.
  • Moscow has requested North Korea to send an additional 6,000 troops to Russia, with around 2,000 North Korean troops dispatched for the war estimated to have been killed so far.

Statistics:

  • North Korea has sent around 15,000 troops to aid Russia's war efforts since October last year.
  • The National Intelligence Service estimated around 2,000 North Korean troops dispatched for the war have been killed so far.
  • An additional 6,000 North Korean soldiers are likely to be sent to Russia in the third batch of troop deployment.
  • North Korea's combat engineers sent to Russia total around 1,000.

Sources:

  • Yonhap News Agency
  • Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)
  • Russia's Tass news agency
  • South Korea's spy agency (National Intelligence Service)
  • China's state media reports.