Letter sent to mark anniversary of end of Japan’s colonial occupation of Korea is latest sign of increasingly close ties between two leaders

Putin during the call on Tuesday praised the “bravery, heroism and self-sacrificing spirit” displayed by North Korean troops as they fought with Russian forces to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk border region,

During the call with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the “bravery” of North Korean troops who fought with Russia against Ukraine.