Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has lauded the “invincible friendship” between Moscow and Pyongyang in a New Year letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, state media reported Thursday (Dec. 25). In the letter, which reached Pyongyang last week, Putin highlighted North Korea’s military support in Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, describing it as a demonstration of “militant fraternity” between the two nations.
According to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies, North Korea sent over 10,000 troops to Russia in 2024, primarily to the strategically sensitive Kursk region. Alongside personnel, Pyongyang reportedly supplied artillery shells, missiles, and long-range rocket systems to bolster Moscow’s war effort.
“The heroic entry of soldiers of the Korean People’s Army into the battles for liberating the Kursk region from occupiers and the subsequent activities of Korean engineers in the land of Russia clearly proved the invincible friendship,” Putin wrote, as reported by the official KCNA news agency.
The Russian president also cited the implementation of a “historic treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership” signed during his visit to Pyongyang in June 2024. The agreement, he noted, had been fully realized “thanks to our joint efforts.” The pact includes a mutual defense clause, pledging immediate military assistance if either country faces armed aggression—a move that underscores the deepening military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang.
“Strong Pyongyang-Moscow ties will contribute to establishing a just order of the multi-polar world,” Putin added, framing the partnership in the context of broader geopolitical ambitions beyond the battlefield.
Seoul’s intelligence agency has estimated that approximately 2,000 North Korean troops deployed to Ukraine have been killed. North Korea publicly acknowledged in April that it had sent soldiers to fight alongside Russian forces and admitted that some had died in combat. Since then, Kim has reportedly met with families of fallen soldiers, offering condolences for their “unbearable pain,” while state media circulated images showing the North Korean leader embracing returning soldiers in visibly emotional scenes.
The deployment of North Korean forces has heightened concerns in South Korea and the West about Pyongyang’s expanding military footprint abroad. Analysts have warned that the presence of trained North Korean soldiers in Ukraine provides Moscow with both manpower and tactical support, especially in artillery and long-range rocket operations.
After the Moscow-Pyongyang military agreement last year, South Korea’s government at the time, under conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol, indicated it might reconsider its domestic ban on arms transfers to Ukraine. However, despite the warnings and speculation, Seoul has not altered its policy, leaving Kyiv without additional military support from its East Asian neighbor.
Observers suggest that Putin’s letter reflects not only Russia’s gratitude for North Korean support but also an effort to solidify a strategic alliance amid growing international isolation. Both nations face broad sanctions and diplomatic pressures from Western countries, making military cooperation a central component of their foreign policy.
The move also comes amid mounting tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, where the expansion of Russia-Pyongyang ties could influence the strategic calculations of the United States, South Korea, and Japan. Analysts note that the bilateral military agreement, if fully operationalized, could embolden Pyongyang to pursue more aggressive regional postures while providing Moscow with additional leverage in its conflict with Ukraine.
As the two leaders exchange symbolic gestures of solidarity and strategic pledges, the deepening Russia-North Korea partnership underscores the evolving dynamics of global power politics, where military alliances are increasingly tied to both regional conflicts and broader challenges to Western-led international order.
