Putin reaffirms friendship with North Korea forward of Trump talks

[ad_1] <img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/817b/live/698f4be0-77da-11f0-a575-29d93c54bf72.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/817b/live/698f4be0-77da-11f0-a575-29d93c54bf72.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/817b/live/698f4be0-77da-11f0-a575-29d93c54bf72.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/817b/live/698f4be0-77da-11f0-a575-29d93c54bf72.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/817b/live/698f4be0-77da-11f0-a575-29d93c54bf72.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/817b/live/698f4be0-77da-11f0-a575-29d93c54bf72.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/817b/live/698f4be0-77da-11f0-a575-29d93c54bf72.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/817b/live/698f4be0-77da-11f0-a575-29d93c54bf72.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="SPUTNIK/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their meeting in Pyongyang, North Korea, 19 June 2024." class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> SPUTNIK/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Russian President Vladimir Putin has reaffirmed his "friendship" with North Korean chief Kim Jong Un, forward of his talks with Donald Trump on Friday.

It additionally comes because the BBC reported the "slave-like" situation dealing with hundreds of North Korean staff despatched to Russia to participate in building tasks.

Putin and Kim spoke on Tuesday, with the Russian chief praising Pyongyang's navy help for his nation's conflict in opposition to Ukraine.

This week, Russia has been making recent navy advances in Ukraine, resulting in a sudden thrust close to the jap city of Dobropillia and advancing 10km (six miles) in a brief time period.

Kim and Putin "reaffirmed their dedication to the additional improvement of friendship relations, good-neighbourliness and cooperation," the Kremlin stated in a press release.

Putin gave the North Korean chief an replace on the Alaska summit's preparation, sharing with him "info within the context of the upcoming talks with US President Donald Trump," the Kremlin stated.

The official North Korean assertion didn't point out this.

Repeating his earlier assertion, Putin "praised the help supplied by [North Korea's] help throughout the liberation of the territory of the Kursk area", in accordance with his workplace.

The Ukrainian military briefly invaded Russia's Kursk area final 12 months in an sudden offensive that confirmed Western allies its functionality to combat again in opposition to Russia, which at present occupies about 20% of Ukraine's territories.

'Like slaves': North Koreans despatched to work in Russia

Putin and Kim spoke simply days earlier than the Russian chief is predicted to journey to Alaska to fulfill Trump, his first face-to-face assembly with a US president since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The conflict, whereas inflicting Russia near-complete financial and diplomatic isolation from the West, has seen unprecedented collaboration between Moscow and Pyongyang. A minimum of 10,000 North Korean troopers have been despatched to combat facet by facet with their Russian counterparts, in accordance with Ukraine and South Korea.

North Korea additionally supplied Russia with missiles, artillery shells and labourers.

With a lot of Russia's males both killed or tied up combating - or having fled the nation - South Korean intelligence officers have informed the BBC that Moscow is more and more counting on North Korean staff.