North Korea’s Kim vows ‘full support’ for Russia in Ukraine as Putin announces deal to boost ties

BY KIM TONG-HYUNG

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised full support for Russia’s war in Ukraine before beginning a one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang on Wednesday, in a bid to expand their economic and military cooperation and show a united front against Washington.

Speaking before the summit, Putin thanked Kim for support in Ukraine and said the two countries would sign an agreement to boost their partnership as both “fight against the imperialist hegemonistic policies of the U.S. and its satellites against the Russian Federation.”

Putin’s visit comes amid growing concerns about an arms arrangement in which North Korea provides Russia with badly needed munitions to fuel Moscow’s war in Ukraine, in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that could enhance the threat posed by Kim’s nuclear weapons and missile program.

North Korea is under heavy U.N. Security Council