North Korea's Kim Jong Un has wished Russian President Vladimir Putin good luck with his plans for "building a powerful Russia" and improving ties between their countries.
The North Korean leader wrote to Putin on the occasion of National Liberation Day of Korea, marking the nation's liberation from Japan at the end of World War II. He apparently received a congratulatory message from the Kremlin as well, Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency reported.
"The message extended warm greetings to the Russian president and his friendly people on the 73rd anniversary of Korea's liberation," the agency reported. "It noted that the valuable tradition that the peoples of the two countries struggled shoulder to shoulder against the common enemy in the arduous anti-Japanese war is the strong roots of the DPRK-Russia friendly relations and serves as a driving force to continuously develop the bilateral relations as required by a new era."
The agency also published what it claims is a Putin anniversary message to Kim, wishing him good health and adding that he is ready to meet with the North Korean leader in the near future. The telegram was not listed on the Kremlin's website at time of publication, and news outlets in Russia called on Putin's administration to confirm if the text was genuine.
"Yes, we congratulated [them] with the anniversary," Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agency RIA Novosti, giving no details. Pressed on the contents of Putin's letter, the spokesman tried to play down the uniqueness of the remarks. "This is an important anniversary," he added, according to Russian business broadcaster RBC. Putin sent "a traditional telegram, where the readiness to establish and develop dialog is highlighted, furthering mutually beneficial relations."
Russia is one of North Korea's few territorial neighbors, owing to a short land border with the country in the Primorye region. During the tensions over North Korea's nuclear testing program over the past couple of years, Russia has tried to present itself as an influential party in negotiating a solution, where the United States and China hold great sway.
Related: Nobody can stop Putin and Trump from meeting again if they want to, says Lavrov
Moscow's top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov, visited Kim earlier this summer, during which the North Korean leader praised "Putin's leadership" for resisting the U.S. and asked about "comrade Putin's health."
In 2015, the Kremlin invited Kim to attend its annual parade in Moscow that marks Victory Day, in what would have been Kim's first overseas trip since inheriting the leadership of his country from his father. He ultimately did not attend the ceremony, and Pyongyang sent an envoy instead.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
I am a Staff Writer for Newsweek's international desk. I report on current events in Russia, the former Soviet Union ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
