North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a congratulatory message to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday to mark Russia's Victory Day — the annual commemoration of the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II — reaffirming Pyongyang's commitment to deepening its military and strategic partnership with Moscow. In the message, carried by North Korea's state Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim pledged to "give top priority" to the alliance and vowed to fulfil obligations under the bilateral treaty that binds the two countries.
The message references a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty" signed in June 2024 during a visit by Putin to Pyongyang, which effectively revived the two countries' Cold War-era military alliance. The pact includes a mutual defence provision and has since underpinned rapidly expanding cooperation across military, political, and economic dimensions. In the most visible sign of that cooperation, North Korea deployed an estimated 14,000 to 15,000 combat troops to fight alongside Russian forces, primarily in the Kursk region of Russia, during the ongoing war in Ukraine. South Korean, Ukrainian, and Western officials have said those troops suffered significant losses, with more than 6,000 reported killed in the fighting.
Saturday's Victory Day parade in Moscow was among the most scaled-back in recent years, reflecting the threat of Ukrainian drone and missile attacks. The occasion nonetheless carried symbolic weight, coinciding with a fragile three-day ceasefire — running from May 9 to May 11 — agreed upon by Russia and Ukraine following an announcement by US President Donald Trump. Victory for Russian forces in the conflict, now more than four years old and the deadliest war in Europe since 1945, has remained elusive.
Kim's message underscores why the partnership matters beyond the battlefield. For Pyongyang, alignment with Moscow provides diplomatic cover, economic support, and a counterweight to international sanctions. For Russia, North Korean troops and munitions have offered a tangible battlefield supplement. The reaffirmation of treaty obligations on such a high-profile occasion signals that both governments intend the alliance to be durable, not merely transactional — a development that continues to alarm South Korea, Ukraine, and their Western partners.