Putin Hails North Korea's Military Support During Kremlin Meeting With Top Diplomat

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in the Kremlin on Sunday, praising Pyongyang's assistance in what Moscow calls its "special military operation" and thanking the North Korean leadership for its support.

Attending the meeting on the Russian side were Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Aide to the President Yuri Ushakov, the Kremlin statement said.

Putin "highly praised the bilateral relations between Russia and the DPRK and once again thanked the leadership and the people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for their assistance in the special military operation."

"He stressed that the combat feats of the Korean servicemen, who helped the Russian military and were decorated with state awards, will always be remembered in Russia."

Putin also conveyed his "warmest greetings" to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, according to the readout. The Russian Foreign Ministry separately confirmed the meeting in a post on X, stating that Putin received the DPRK foreign minister at the Kremlin and conveyed his greetings to Kim Jong-un.

North Korea Reaffirms Strategic Commitment

On her part, Choe Son-hui "expressed appreciation for such warm words and said that the DPRK leader Kim Jong-un had recently reaffirmed the strategic commitment to comprehensive development of the relations with the Russian Federation."

The meeting follows Choe's departure from Pyongyang on Saturday for an official visit to the Russian Federation at the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). She was seen off at Pyongyang International Airport by Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Jong Gyu and Charge d'Affaires ad interim Vladimir Topekha of the Russian embassy.

The meeting between Putin and Choe underscores the deepening ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, which have grown closer since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. North Korea has been accused by Western nations of supplying artillery shells and ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the war, though both countries have denied the allegations.

In June, Putin visited Pyongyang for a summit with Kim Jong-un, where the two leaders signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty that included a mutual defence commitment. The meeting with Choe follows a visit to Pyongyang earlier this month by Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov.