Karina Bovsunovskaya12:14, 31.12.24

Kim congratulated Putin and all Russian citizens, including their troops, on the New Year.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said his country and Russia had always moved forward “hand in hand” on the right path, the official Chinese news agency reported, Reuters reported .

During an exchange of New Year greetings with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, the Chinese leader welcomed the mutual trust and strategic coordination between the two countries and expressed his desire to maintain close contacts with the Russian president.

According to Xi, Chinese-Russian cooperation in various fields will further open up new opportunities for development.

In turn, North Korean President Kim Jong-un promised to strengthen the country’s comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia in his letter to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Reuters writes .

In his address, Kim wished Putin and all Russian citizens, including their troops, a happy New Year and said he was ready to further strengthen bilateral ties. He said the two leaders would rise to new heights in 2024 with “new projects.”

“Kim wished that the new year 2025 would be recorded as the first year of victory in the 21st century, when the Russian army and people defeat neo-Nazism and achieve a great victory,” KCNA reported.

Reuters recalled that Kim and Putin signed a mutual defense treaty at a summit in June, which calls on each side to come to the aid of the other in the event of an armed attack.

North Korea has since sent thousands of troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine. According to South Korea and the United States, more than a thousand have been killed or wounded.

(c)UNIAN 2024