Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a statement yesterday thanking North Korea for the contribution it made in the final defeat of the Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, “putting an end to the criminal provocation perpetrated by the Ukrainian authorities in an attempt to seize part of the Russian Federation territory.”
“Units of the Korean People’s Army played an active role in the fight that brought the defeat of the neo-Nazi formations of the Kiev regime that invaded our territory, in full compliance with international law and in accordance with the letter and spirit of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea of June 19, 2024—in particular, Article 4 of the Treaty, which requires each of the parties to provide immediate military assistance in the event of an armed attack against the other,” Putin said. “Our Korean friends’ move was guided by a sense of solidarity, justice and genuine comradery. We highly appreciate this and are sincerely grateful, personally to the Chairman of State Affairs Comrade Kim Jong Un, as well as the entire leadership and the people of the D.P.R.K..”
North Korea’s Central Military Commission issued a corresponding statement. “The operations for liberating the Kursk area to repel the adventurous invasion of the Russian Federation by the Ukrainian authorities were victoriously concluded,” it said. “The sub-units of our armed forces, which participated in the operations for liberating the Kursk area according to the order of the head of state of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, fully demonstrated their high fighting spirit and military temperament and made an important contribution to annihilating the Ukrainian neo-Nazi forces and liberating the territory of the Russian Federation by displaying mass heroism, matchless bravery and self-sacrificing spirit. It is a source of pride for our state and a greatest dignity for our people to have such excellent soldiers.”
