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A flock of ducks for a regiment of soldiers? Putin and Kim Jong-un’s friendship goes from the front to the zoos

A flock of ducks for a regiment of soldiers? Putin and Kim Jong-un's friendship goes from the front to the zoos

The alliance between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un goes beyond the purely military. Proof of this is that this week, the Russian president gave more than 70 animalsincluding a lion and two bears, to the Pyonyang Central Zoo, as reported by the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology.

“Today we give our Korean comrades a gift from Vladimir Putin to the pyongyang zoo. We have brought more than 70 copies,” read the statement. Specifically, it was the minister in charge of the portfolio, Alexander Kozlovwho has communicated the sending of this gift. “Animals have historically occupied an important place in interstate relations; they are given as a sign of support, kindness and concern,” he explained in a text.

In addition to the lion and the two bears, Putin’s gift includes two tamed yaks, five white cockatoos, 25 pheasants and 40 mandarin ducks. Kozlov, Russia’s co-chair of the Russian-North Korean intergovernmental commission for economic and trade cooperation, highlighted that the zoos of both countries have been cooperating for 13 years.

And the truth is that this is not the first animal gift between leaders. Recently, Putin sent 24 purebred horses to the North Korean leader, who in turn presented him with two white hunting dogs of the Korean breed. Pungsan. The exchange took place after the historic summit in Pyongyang in which the president of Kremlin offered his interlocutor a presidential limousine made in Russia.

In addition, Kim introduced the dogs to Putin while they were taking a walk in the garden Kumsusan Guest Palacewhere the Russian leader stayed after signing a key agreement in the continuation of their bilateral relations, as detailed by the North Korean agency. KCNA.

Cooperación militar

En concreto, en verano los dos países firmaron un “acuerdo integral de asociación estratégica” que incluía una cláusula de asistencia mutua “en caso de agresión”. Aunque se desconocen los términos exactos del pacto, lo cierto es que Pyongyang ha suministrado ya armamento y municiones a las tropas rusas. Y no sólo eso. 

En las últimas semanas, tanto la inteligencia de los países occidentales como la propia Ucrania han avisado de que había unos 11.000 soldados norcoreanos desplegados en el frente combatiendo con Rusia como parte de ese acuerdo. En concreto, estos militares han sido enviados a la región rusa de Kursk, invadida por Ucrania en verano. Así, cabría esperar que la entrega de estos 70 animales sería un gesto de agradecimiento por el envío de efectivos.

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