North Korean leader Kim calls ties with Russia top priority

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday reaffirmed his country’s commitment to its mutual defence treaty with Russia, in a message to President Vladimir Putin congratulating Russia on the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two. Kim reiterated North Korea’s position to “give top priority” to its partnership with Russia and its commitment to “the implementation of the obligations of the inter-state treaty,” according to KCNA. Russia and North Korea in 2024 signed a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty” during a visit to Pyongyang by Putin. The pact includes a mutual defence provision. North Korea sent an estimated 14,000 troops to fight with Russian forces in Kursk during the ongoing war in Ukraine. South Korean, Ukrainian and Western officials said those troops suffered heavy casualties, with more than 6,000 North Korean soldiers killed in the fighting. On Saturday, Russia holds its most scaled-back Victory Day parade in years due to the