North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a congratulatory message to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of Russia's 81st Victory Day on 9 May 2025, reaffirming Pyongyang's commitment to deepening its alliance with Moscow. State media reported that Kim pledged to uphold the obligations of the bilateral inter-state treaty and give top priority to the two nations' strategic partnership.

What Kim Said

Kim extended his "sincerest congratulations" to Putin and expressed satisfaction with what he described as the "brilliant history of independence, dignity, peace and prosperity" shared by the two countries, according to North Korea's state media outlet, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

"Reaffirming the stand of the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to give top priority to and steadily develop the alliance-like comprehensive strategic partnership between our two countries, I affirm once again that we will always faithfully fulfil the obligations under the inter-state treaty between the DPRK and Russia," Kim said.

Background: The 2024 Strategic Partnership Treaty

The message comes against the backdrop of a landmark agreement signed in June 2024, when Kim and Putin formalised a "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty — effectively reviving the two countries' Cold War-era military alliance. Following the signing, Pyongyang reportedly deployed around 15,000 combat troops to support Russia in its ongoing war against Ukraine, marking one of the most significant expansions of North Korean military engagement in decades.

Belousov's Pyongyang Visit

The Victory Day message follows a high-level military meeting held on 26 April 2025, when Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov travelled to Pyongyang for talks with Kim Jong-un. According to Russia's state-owned news agency TASS, the two sides discussed the current state and future prospects of military cooperation.

Belousov announced that the two sides had agreed to "transition military cooperation to a sustainable, long-term basis," adding that Russia is prepared to sign a Russian-Korean Military Cooperation Plan for the period 2027–2031 within the current year. He described Russian-Korean interstate relations as being at an "unprecedentedly high level" and praised North Korea's "traditionally warm welcome" extended to the Russian delegation.

Belousov also noted that Kim's invitation to a Russian military delegation for the opening of a museum and memorial complex was "a great honour and privilege."

What This Signals

The exchange of diplomatic messages and the accelerating pace of high-level contacts — including troop deployments, defence planning, and now a multi-year military cooperation roadmap — indicate that the Russia-North Korea relationship has moved well beyond symbolic alignment. This is the third major diplomatic or military milestone between the two nations since the June 2024 treaty, underscoring how rapidly the partnership is being institutionalised. As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues, Pyongyang's role as a military supplier and strategic partner for Moscow is likely to draw further international scrutiny.