North Korea: Russia has right to exercise self-defense against Ukraine 

seoul — 

North Korean person Kim Jong Un has told the Russian defence curate that Ukraine's usage of long-range weapons is the effect of nonstop subject involution by the United States and that Moscow is entitled to combat successful self-defense, authorities media said Saturday.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency said Kim met Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov connected Friday, and it quoted the North Korean person arsenic saying, "The U.S. and the West made Kyiv authorities onslaught Russia's territory with their ain long-range onslaught weapons." Russia should instrumentality enactment to marque "hostile forces wage the price," Kim said.

"The DPRK government, service and radical volition invariably enactment the argumentation of the Russian Federation to support its sovereignty and territorial integrity from the imperialists' moves for hegemony," KCNA quoted Kim arsenic saying.

DPRK is abbreviated for North Korea's authoritative name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Kim pledged to grow ties with Russia successful each areas, including subject affairs, nether the broad strategical concern helium signed with Russian President Vladimir Putin successful June, which includes a communal defence agreement, KCNA said.

Moscow and Pyongyang person dramatically precocious ties since their leaders held a acme successful September 2023 successful Russia, and the North has since shipped to Russia much than 10,000 containers of ammunition, arsenic good arsenic self-propelled howitzers and aggregate rocket launchers, according to South Korea's spy agency.

KCNA made nary notation of whether Kim and Belousov discussed North Korea's deployment of troops to Russia.

South Korea's spy bureau has said that North Korea has sent much than 10,000 troops to Russia and that they person been moved to the beforehand lines, including the Kursk region, wherever Russian forces are trying to expel Ukrainian forces.

Ukraine has fired U.S. ATACMS missiles to onslaught Russian territory aft the medication of U.S. President Joe Biden gave support to usage them for specified an onslaught this month.

Russia successful crook unleashed attacks against Ukraine's subject and vigor infrastructures, saying they were made successful effect to the usage of U.S. medium-range missiles.

Belousov separately held talks with North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang Chol and said the concern pact signed by Kim and Putin would lend to maintaining the equilibrium of powerfulness successful Northeast Asia.

Kim personally attended a reception hosted by the defence ministry for Belousov's delegation, KCNA said.