North Korean FM meets Putin, boosting military ties

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Sunday, July 19, 2026, in a high-level diplomatic visit widely seen as coordinating deeper military cooperation and a potential future summit between the two nations' leaders. The meeting underscored the rapidly strengthening alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang, which has become a pivotal element of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and shifting geopolitical alignments in Northeast Asia.

During the meeting at the Kremlin, Putin expressed gratitude for North Korea's support for what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine. He specifically thanked Pyongyang for its decision to send soldiers of the Korean People's Army to participate in operations in the Kursk region, stating that their exploits would never be forgotten in Russia and that they had been awarded Russian state decorations. North Korean state media reported that Choe conveyed leader Kim Jong Un's commitment to the comprehensive development of relations with Russia.

The visit, which began with Choe's arrival in Moscow on Saturday, July 18, at the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, marks...