Putin tells North Korea their friendship aids a just world order.

Putin tells North Korea their friendship aids a just world order.

The Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday morning that Putin sent a New Year’s message to Kim last week, saying that the participation of North Korean forces in pushing Ukraine back from the Kursk Bulge proved the “military brotherhood” between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Putin wrote in his message: “The heroic entry of the Korean People’s Army soldiers into the battle to liberate the Kursk Bulge from the invaders and the subsequent activities of Korean engineers on Russian soil clearly proved our unbreakable friendship.”

The Russian president added that the provisions of the “historic Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty” signed in Pyongyang last year had been realized “thanks to our joint efforts.”

Putin stressed that strong ties between Moscow and Pyongyang “help create a just multipolar order in the world.”

At a recent welcoming ceremony for the Korean People’s Army Engineer Regiment, the North Korean leader praised their “heroic” performance and “collective heroism” in carrying out the instructions of the Workers’ Party of Korea during their 120-day overseas mission.

The Korean Central News Agency reported that the regiment was deployed to Russia in early August and has been carrying out combat and engineering missions in the Kursk region.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced in November that North Korean soldiers who helped push Ukrainian forces back from the Kursk region are now clearing mines in the region.

South Korean, Ukrainian, and Western sources have claimed that North Korea has sent about 14,000 soldiers to Russia, and that more than 6,000 of them have been killed.