Putin tells North Korea to boost ties

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Putin tells North Korea to boost ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow on August 12. Russian President Vladimir Putin told North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that the two countries will expand bilateral relations with common efforts, Pyongyang's state media reported on Monday.

Putin said in a letter to Kim for Korea's liberation day that closer ties would be in both countries' interests, and would strengthen the security and stability of the Korean peninsula and the Northeastern Asian region, North Korea's KCNA news agency said.

Kim also sent a letter to Putin saying Russian-North Korean friendship had been forged in World War II with victory over Japan, which had occupied the Korean peninsula.

The strategic and tactical cooperation, support and solidarity between the two countries has reached a new level because they are working together to frustrate threats and provocations from hostile military forces, Kim said in the letter. KCNA did not identify the hostile forces, but it's typically used that term to refer to the United States and its allies.

Kim predicted that Russia and North Korea would grow cooperation based on an agreement signed in 2019 when he met with Putin.

In July, North Korea recognised two Russian-backed breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine as independent states, and officials raised the prospect of North Korean workers being sent to the areas to help in construction and other labour.

Ukraine, which is resisting a Russian invasion described by Moscow as a military operation, immediately severed relations with Pyongyang over the move.