Kim Jong Un Calls Ukraine War Sacred, Pledges Support to Russia

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has publicly reaffirmed his country's support for Russia's war in Ukraine, describing the conflict as a "sacred" endeavor in a letter to President Vladimir Putin. The pledge comes amid ongoing speculation about a potential new deployment of North Korean troops to bolster Russian forces. In the letter, reported by North Korean state media, Kim expressed firm conviction in Russia's victory and promised "invariable support" to Putin and the Russian people. He also committed to broadening cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow across multiple areas. The statement underscores the deepening military partnership between the two nations since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. North Korea has emerged as one of Russia's closest allies, providing weapons and troops in exchange for economic assistance and access to Russian military technology, according to analysts. South Korea's intelligence service has previously estimated that approximately 2,000 North Korean soldiers were killed fighting for Russia. A later assessment from the agency put the number of North Korean troops killed or wounded at roughly 6,000.