Putin praises Kim Jong Un’s support for Ukraine war as he heads to North Korea

The isolated Communist state of North Korea is seen as a vital source of military support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose two-day visit marks his first to North Korea in 24 years.

SEOUL, South Korea — Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to arrive in North Korea on Tuesday, seeking support from leader Kim Jong Un for his war in Ukraine. This rare visit is Putin's first to North Korea in over two decades.

Putin’s two-day visit coincides with an incident where North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the heavily fortified border into South Korea for the second time this month, prompting warning shots from South Korean troops.

In a letter published Tuesday in Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, Putin expressed gratitude for North Korea’s support in what he terms Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine. He pledged to support North Korea's efforts to defend its interests against decades of “U.S. economic pressure, provocation, blackmail, and military threats.”

Putin also hinted at the growing alignment between the two countries in their shared hostility towards the West, which is concerned about potential arms and intelligence transfers that could advance Putin’s objectives in Ukraine and Kim’s ambitions for international nuclear recognition.

Russian state media reported that during Putin's visit, the two countries would sign a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. Putin's foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov stated that the agreement aims to ensure greater stability in Northeast Asia and is not directed against any specific countries.

North Korea, under U.N. Security Council sanctions for its nuclear and missile programs, and Russia, increasingly isolated by Western sanctions due to the war in Ukraine, are finding common ground. North Korea is seen as a crucial source of military supplies to replenish Russia’s depleting arsenal.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller commented on Monday that Putin's desperation over recent setbacks in Ukraine has led him to seek aid from North Korea and Iran.

He mentioned that North Korea had illegally transferred numerous ballistic missiles and over 11,000 containers of munitions to Russia in recent months. Both countries have denied these transfers, which would violate U.N. Security Council resolutions.

A South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasized that any cooperation between Russia and North Korea must not breach U.N. resolutions and that this message had been communicated to Russia.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba dismissed the partnership between Kim and Putin, calling it a “lonely bromance.” He told Agence France-Presse that the best response was to continue bolstering the diplomatic coalition for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and to supply more Western air defense systems and weapons.

Despite their likely denials, North Korea and Russia have shifted from concealing their illicit activities to openly flaunting their cooperation, noted Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

 Easley stated that Putin's visit partly serves to thank North Korea for supporting his illegal invasion of Ukraine and allows North Korean media to portray Kim as a significant world leader. This visit follows Kim’s trip to Russia’s Far East last September, where he toured a Russian spaceport and discussed satellite development with Putin.

Recently, Kim celebrated the ties between the two countries, declaring North Korea an “invincible comrade-in-arms” with Russia in a message to Putin on Russia’s National Day.

Ushakov mentioned that Putin’s North Korea visit would feature one-on-one talks, a state reception, an honor guard, and a statement to the media. The delegation includes Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, and the head of the Russian space agency.

Just hours before Putin’s expected arrival on Tuesday, South Korean officials reported that up to 30 North Korean soldiers had illegally crossed the military demarcation line within the Demilitarized Zone separating the Koreas. The soldiers retreated after South Korean forces issued warning messages and fired shots. This incident follows a similar brief intrusion on June 9, believed to be unintentional.

The North Korean soldiers were reportedly conducting various border operations, including planting mines and building military infrastructure, as part of activities that began in November after North Korea suspended a 2018 military agreement aimed at reducing tensions.

In response to recent provocations, South Korea announced it would also fully suspend the 2018 agreement. South Korean officials noted that multiple casualties among North Korean soldiers have occurred due to explosions of their own land mines along the border, yet North Korean soldiers continue their work despite these accidents.

Stella Kim reported from Seoul, South Korea, and Mithil Aggarwal reported from Hong Kong.