Putin Thanks North Korea For Backing Russia In Ukraine War As He Meets FM Choe Son Hui

Russian President Vladimir Putin met North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui at the Kremlin on Sunday, thanking Pyongyang for backing Moscow's war in Ukraine and asking her to convey greetings to leader Kim Jong Un. According to Tass, Putin said he highly valued the mutual understanding and friendly relations between the two nations, adding that the heroic deeds of North Korean soldiers who supported Russian forces would never be forgotten. Choe reaffirmed Pyongyang's continued backing for Moscow's military campaign, according to Russian officials.

The meeting, attended by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, marked Choe's first trip to Russia since October, when she attended a Eurasian security forum in Belarus. She departed Pyongyang on July 18 aboard her official aircraft and is expected to remain in Moscow through Wednesday for further talks. The visit builds on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty signed by Putin and Kim in Pyongyang in June 2024, which commits both nations to mutual assistance if either faces external aggression.

The trip has fuelled speculation that Kim may soon travel to Russia for another summit with Putin, their first since Kim elevated ties with Beijing through a June meeting with Xi Jinping. Choe's visit followed high level exchanges between North Korea and China, including Cabinet premier Pak Thae Song meeting Xi in Beijing and senior Chinese Communist Party official Wang Huning visiting Kim in Pyongyang, underscoring Pyongyang's efforts to leverage its ties with both Moscow and Beijing.

Ahead of Choe's visit, Russian deputy foreign minister Andrey Rudenko voiced serious concerns to South Korea's ambassador over Seoul's deepening alignment with NATO, in what amounted to a formal diplomatic protest. North Korea has deployed thousands of troops and supplied artillery shells and missiles to support Russian operations, including in the Kursk region, since the war began in 2022.

South Korea's Unification Ministry spokesperson Yoon Min Ho said Monday that Seoul was closely monitoring the talks but declined to confirm whether a Putin Kim summit was being arranged.