Seoul, May 10 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said the North's deployment of troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine was justified, defending his country's participation in the war as an exercise of its sovereign rights, Pyongyang's state media reported on Saturday.
Kim made the remarks during his visit to the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang the previous day to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II, known as Victory Day, reports Yonhap, quoting the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Citing a mutual defence treaty signed last year with Russia, Kim said he issued the order to send the North's troops to Russia to "liberate" the Kursk front-line region as he was determined to faithfully implement the treaty.
"Our participation in the war was justified, and this is within the realm of the exercise of our sovereign rights," Kim said during a congratulatory speech, calling the North's troops engaged in combat against Ukraine "heroes."
Last month, North Korea acknowledged for the first time that it had dispatched troops to fight alongside Russia against Ukraine. Seoul's spy agency said the North has sent around 15,000 soldiers to Russia so far and is believed to have incurred more than 4,700 casualties, including some 600 deaths.
Claiming that Ukraine has invaded Russia's territory, the North's leader said he will not be hesitant to use North Korea's military forces if the United States and its vassal states seek to stage another attack against Russia.
"If we neglect the Ukrainian puppet forces' move to bluntly take military action against the nuclear power's territory, they will be more recklessly brave. Then, Seoul's military, the top-class stooge of the US, would also increase its reckless bravado," Kim said.
Russia celebrated the 80th anniversary of Victory Day with a military parade Friday, attended by foreign leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping. Kim was widely expected to have been invited to the celebrations, but he did not visit Moscow, apparently due to security and logistics.
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