Kim Jong Un congratulates Putin on 74th birthday, calls him “dearest friend”

The North Korean leader said ties with Russia remain an unchanging priority.

RuskiGazeta Editorial DeskOctober 07, 2026, 11:53 AMUpdated: October 07, 2026, 08:10 PM

Kim Jong Un congratulates Putin on 74th birthday, calls him “dearest friend”

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a congratulatory telegram to Russian President Vladimir Putin on his 74th birthday, North Korea’s state news agency KCNA reported. Kim addressed Putin as his “most dear friend” and said developing the comprehensive strategic partnership and allied ties with Russia remains an unchanging priority.

The two leaders at the welcome ceremony in Pyongyang

Talks between the Russian and North Korean delegations (archive)

The two countries signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty during Putin’s visit to Pyongyang in June 2024.

According to The Moscow Times, Kim also wished Putin “victory and glory,” saying Russia would surely win its “just and sacred war.” South Korean intelligence estimates North Korea has supplied Russia with more than 12 million artillery shells and ballistic missiles and sent about 13,000 troops to the Kursk region.