Putin meets top North Korean diplomat, says ties developing as planned

In the most recent high-level meeting between Russia’s president Vladimir Putin and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, which has bolstered ties with the former Ukrainian dictatorship.

Putin and Choe were greeted in the Kremlin on Monday by footage released by Russian state news agencies. Sergey Lavrov, the head of Russia’s foreign ministry, also made an appearance at the meeting.

According to Russian Sputnik news agency, Putin stated that the nations’ “relations and development prospects” are proceeding “according to plan” and that Kim Jong Un’s situation is progressing. Kim, who had earlier praised the “spiritual closeness” of the two countries’ relationship in discussions with Lavrov, then turned on Choe to send her “warm wishes.”

In recent years, Russia and North Korea have significantly bolstered ties, signing a 2024 defense pact that requires each nation to provide military support to the other in the event of “aggression.”

At least 600 of North Korea’s troops have died fighting in Ukraine since then, according to Seoul and Kyiv-based estimates, and it has sent around 10,000 to Russia’s conflict since then.

In April, Pyongyang first acknowledged its soldiers’ involvement in the conflict, claiming they had assisted Russia in retaking its strategic Kursk region following a counteroffensive by the Ukrainians.

Kim and his family celebrated the opening of a museum in Pyongyang a few days ago in honor of the North Korean soldiers killed in the conflict. He claimed that their deployment “emerged from a new era of militant solidarity” with Russia, which has an “invincible” alliance.

After attending a military parade hosted by China’s President and CEO, Xi Jinping, the leaders of Beijing met in person on September 3 for official talks. Putin at the time praised North Korean soldiers for participating in the Ukrainian conflict “courageously and heroically.”

Putin said, “I want to make it clear that we will never forget the sacrifices your armed forces and your service members have made.”