North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a telegram to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the new year, praising the alliance between the two countries and reaffirming his resolve to maintain and reinforce their close ties.

According to the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency on Saturday, Kim addressed Putin as “respected comrade” and said North Korea and Russia had elevated their relationship to the “sincerest alliance of sharing blood, life and death in the same trench.”

The comment was an apparent reference to the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia in support of its military offensive in Ukraine.

The regime leader called the bilateral alliance invincible and a “precious common asset” to be carried forward by future generations.

Kim sent the telegram in response to a similar message from Putin dated December 18, in which the Russian leader expressed confidence that the two sides will work together constructively to address regional and international issues.

Pyongyang and Moscow have deepened military cooperation since the two leaders signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty in June 2024.