New Delhi: The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has held talks with the North Korean foreign minister, Choe Son-hui, in Moscow on Sunday. The meeting reaffirmed the rapidly expanding partnership between the two countries and Putin thanked Pyongyang for its support of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, according to the Kremlin.
The meeting at the Kremlin marks the latest in a series of high-level engagements between Moscow and Pyongyang as both countries continue to deepen political, military and economic cooperation under a strategic partnership signed in 2024.
According to the Kremlin, Putin praised the growing bilateral relationship and conveyed his appreciation to North Korea’s leadership and people for backing what Moscow describes as its “special military operation” in Ukraine. Choe, in turn, delivered a message from the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, reaffirming Pyongyang’s commitment to further strengthening ties with Russia.
The visit has drawn attention because it was not linked to any publicly announced summit, international gathering or anniversary. That has fuelled speculation that the discussions could be laying the groundwork for another meeting between Putin and Kim, although neither side has confirmed such plans. North Korea has only said that Choe travelled to Russia at the invitation of the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov.
South Korea said it was closely monitoring the developments. Seoul’s unification ministry, which oversees relations with the North, declined to speculate on whether preparations were under way for a fresh summit between the Russian and North Korean leaders.
Relations between Moscow and Pyongyang have expanded significantly since Putin visited North Korea in June 2024. During that visit, the two countries signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty that includes provisions for mutual assistance if either nation comes under attack. Putin also invited Kim to visit Russia again.
Since then, North Korea has emerged as one of Russia’s closest partners in the Ukraine conflict. Western governments, South Korea and Ukraine have accused Pyongyang of supplying large quantities of artillery ammunition, missiles and other military equipment to Russia. Moscow and Pyongyang have also acknowledged the deployment of North Korean personnel under their defence agreement, although they reject western allegations regarding the scale and nature of that support.
Analysts say North Korea is likely seeking economic assistance, energy supplies and advanced military technologies in return, particularly in areas such as missile, satellite and conventional weapons development. Neither government has publicly detailed the scope of any such cooperation.
Choe’s Moscow visit also follows a flurry of diplomatic activity involving North Korea and China, underscoring Pyongyang’s efforts to strengthen relations with its two principal strategic partners as geopolitical divisions deepen.
Kim has effectively suspended substantive diplomacy with the United States and South Korea since the collapse of nuclear negotiations with then US president Donald Trump in 2019. Since then, North Korea has accelerated its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes while insisting that Washington abandon its longstanding demand for denuclearization as a precondition for renewed talks.