Kim Jong Un says he wants to “hold hands” with Russian President Vladimir Putin and defended Moscow’s decision to invade Ukraine, according to North Korea’s state media on Monday. In a message to Putin for Russia’s National Day, Kim offered “full support and solidarity” to the Russian leader. “Justice is sure to win and the Russian people will continue to add glory to the history of victory,” Kim said, according to KCNA. He also called for “closer strategic cooperation” between North Korea and Russia, “holding hands firmly with the Russian president, in conformity with the common desire of the peoples of the two countries to fulfill the grand goal of building a powerful country.”
