SEOUL: Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a message of greeting to mark New Year's Day to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, hailing the North's "heroic" dispatch of troops in Russia's war against Ukraine, the North's state media said on Thursday.
Kim received the message on December 18, in which Putin extended "wholehearted congratulations" on the occasion of the new year, reports Yonhap, quoting the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
"The past year was of special significance in the relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang, " Putin said, referring to the entry of North Korean troops in Russia's war with Ukraine.