North Korea's Kim Jong Un lauds Putin for 'success' in Ukraine war on Russia Day

As the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war crossed the 100 days mark, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a special message to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of Russia Day. Applauding the "special military operation" initiated by Putin, he said, "Russian people have achieved great successes in accomplishing their goal". According to a report by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the North Korean leader extended warm congratulations to the "people-friendly government" and citizens of the Russian Federation on its national day.

The message mentioned that Russia achieved great success in accomplishing its goal because it knew methods of defending the dignity and security of its country. Kim Jong Un also defended all the "possible reasons" that have the potential to justify the "ruthless war" against Ukrainians. The message said that the Korean people extend full support and encouragement to the people of Moscow. "It is the steadfast stand of the DPRK government to value the DPRK-Russia relations with a long history and tradition of friendship and good neighbourhood and comprehensively expand and develop them in keeping with the requirement of the new times and the desire of the peoples of the two countries," read the message.

"I express the conviction that the DPRK-Russia relations of friendship and cooperation, which have greeted a new radical turn of their development after our first meeting in Vladivostok in April 2019, would continue to strengthen with vigour in all fields and the strategic and tactical cooperation between the two countries would get closer in the journey for defending the international justice and ensuring the global security," it added.

Latvian FM urges Moscow to abandon 'imperial ambitions' on Russia Day

Meanwhile, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics wished Moscow "defeat" in the war in Ukraine in his message to Kremlin on Russia Day. In his rather mocking greeting, he urged Russia to give up its "imperial ambitions" and embrace modern society. "Russia is marking its National, I wish defeat in the aggressive war against #Ukraine, abandoning imperial ambitions and ultimately the creation of modern and democratic country #RussiaDay2022 (sic)," he tweeted. 

Notably, Russia started the "special military operation" earlier on February 24 alleging Ukraine had been planning to join the NATO military alliance. However, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy had said that Ukraine will not become a member of the NATO alliance. Earlier last week, Moscow's upper parliament house speaker said Russia is ready to hold negotiations with Kyiv to restore peace in the region. However, the same has not been echoed by the Russian government yet.

(Image: AP)