BEIJING - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged his support for Russia's war on Ukraine and expressed confidence in further developing bilateral ties and forming a strategic relationship in his talks with President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, Tass news agency reported.

During the discussions at the Vostochny Cosmodrome space launch center in the Russian Far East, Kim was quoted as telling Putin that Moscow is waging "a sacred fight" to ensure its security while combating "hegemonic forces that oppose Russia."

The North Korean leader said the bilateral relationship with Russia is "the main priority for our country at present" and that his talks with Putin will serve as an impetus for transforming the traditional friendly ties into "unbreakable relations of strategic cooperation," according to the report.