North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in response to Vladimir Putin’s message of congratulations, confirmed his intention to develop ties with Russia, the state news agency KCNA reported. The messages were exchanged to mark the 81st anniversary of Japan’s surrender in the Second World War. The rapprochement between Moscow and Pyongyang is continuing against the backdrop of the DPRK’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine with troops and weapons.
Briefly about the main points
- Putin stated that cooperation with North Korea would continue across all areas.
- Kim linked the future of the relationship to their shared struggle and friendship.
- The Russian training sailing ship *Pallada* has arrived in Wonsan.
- Seoul has proposed dialogue with Pyongyang on a peace regime.
- North Korea has already rejected the South Korean president’s initiatives.
The history of liberation provided the backdrop for the messages
Vladimir Putin stated that the ties between the two countries had been forged during the Soviet military’s struggle against Japan, and pledged to continue cooperation «in all areas». For North Korea, 15 August is an important date in its official historical narrative, which links the liberation of the peninsula in 1945 to the involvement of the Red Army.
Kim Jong-un He expressed hope for the future of relations which, in his words, continue the history of a shared struggle for justice and traditions of friendship. The exchange of such statements provides a historical framework for the current partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang.
Military cooperation has gone beyond political statements
Russia and North Korea have grown closer since Pyongyang began sending military personnel and supplying weapons to support Russia’s war against Ukraine. In April 2025, Moscow and Pyongyang publicly acknowledged for the first time that North Korean units had taken part in combat operations in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, signed in June 2024, provides for immediate military and other assistance should one of the parties come under armed attack and find itself in a state of war. The Russian side linked the presence of North Korean military personnel in the Kursk region to this provision of the treaty.
A Russian training sailing ship has arrived in Wonsan
On Saturday, the Russian training sailing ship *Pallada* arrived at the port of Wonsan on a goodwill visit to mark the anniversary of the liberation, KCNA reported. It was met by North Korean provincial officials and staff from the Russian embassy.
«The *Pallada* is affiliated with the Far Eastern State Technical University of Fisheries in Russia and is registered in Vladivostok.
Seoul is proposing a peace regime, but Pyongyang is not in agreement
President of South Korea Lee Je-myung At the Liberation Day ceremony, he called on the DPRK to negotiations for the sake of peaceful coexistence. He emphasised the need for conflict-prevention mechanisms and a transition from a ceasefire to a «peace regime», and also proposed discussing ways to curb Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.
The Korean War of 1950–1953 ended with a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty. Pyongyang rejected Lee’s proposals and criticised the joint US–South Korean military exercises, describing them as provocations.
