Top Russian official meets Kim, thanks for support in Ukraine war

SEOUL, Mar 22 (AP): A top Russian security official met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on Friday and thanked him for the country's support of Moscow's war efforts in Ukraine, according to Russian state media.

The meeting came after South Korea's spy agency said in late February that North Korea appeared to have sent additional troops to Russia after soldiers fighting in the Russian-Ukraine war suffered heavy casualties.

Russia's state-run news agency Tass reported that Sergei Shoigu, Russia's Security Council secretary, during a meeting with Kim, expressed gratitude for North Korea's "solidarity with Russia's position on all critical geopolitical issues, particularly on the Ukrainian issue.'"

Tass said Shoigu also conveyed a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who extended his greetings and vowed to give "utmost attention" to implementing agreements.