North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang to honor Soviet soldiers, marking 80 years since Nazi Germany's defeat. Standing beside top officials and his daughter, Kim called Putin his “closest friend” and condemned the rise of “neo-Nazism” in Europe.

Kim Jong Un stated that North Korea's involvement in the Ukraine conflict is justified. According to the dictator, it is the "sovereign right of the Republic" and the defense of a "brotherly nation." Pyongyang has sent over 10,

Our participation in the conflict was fair and consistent with the sovereign rights of our Republic,” Kim said, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). He also referred to "the brave soldiers who took part in the Kursk operation" — a vague and historically out-of-context remark that appeared to glorify combatants allied with Russia —