North Korea has reaffirmed its strong support for Russia over the war in Ukraine following high-level talks between the two countries’ foreign ministers in Moscow, further strengthening their growing strategic partnership and fuelling speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could visit Russia later this year.
According to North Korea’s state news agency KCNA, Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pledged to deepen bilateral relations and accelerate long-term cooperation across multiple sectors during their meeting in the Russian capital.
The two sides reportedly reaffirmed their commitment to expanding political, economic and security ties, with Pyongyang expressing unwavering support for Moscow’s policies regarding the Ukraine conflict.
KCNA said North Korea backed Russia’s efforts to “eliminate the root cause of the Ukrainian dispute” while defending its sovereignty, territorial integrity and what it described as international justice.
In response, Russia expressed full support for North Korea’s efforts to safeguard its own sovereignty and national security, underscoring the increasingly close alliance between the two countries.
Relations between Moscow and Pyongyang have strengthened significantly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Western governments and analysts have accused North Korea of supplying Russia with weapons and military equipment, as well as deploying troops to support Russian operations in the Kursk region.
In return, Pyongyang is believed to have received economic assistance, including food, energy supplies, financial support and military technology from Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently thanked North Korea for its backing of what Russia refers to as its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
“I would like once again to express my gratitude for the support provided to the special military operation we are conducting,” Putin said in a video released by the Kremlin.
During her visit, Choe also laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin, symbolising the growing diplomatic ties between the two nations.
The latest diplomatic engagement has also intensified speculation that Kim Jong Un may soon travel to Russia. South Korean media reports suggest Choe’s visit may have included discussions on arrangements for a future summit between Kim and Putin.
Kim last visited Russia in September 2023, while President Putin travelled to Pyongyang in June 2024 in a rare state visit that further cemented the countries’ expanding partnership.
Experts say a visit by Kim would underscore North Korea’s efforts to strengthen relations with both Moscow and Beijing amid continued international isolation.
Professor Park Won-gon of Ewha Womans University in South Korea noted that Putin has repeatedly invited Kim to visit Russia following his own trip to North Korea.
The renewed diplomatic activity also comes shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Pyongyang, where he and Kim pledged to deepen cooperation between China and North Korea.
Despite North Korea’s growing military and political ties with Russia, China remains its largest economic partner, accounting for nearly all of the country’s foreign trade.
Analysts believe maintaining strong relationships with both Beijing and Moscow allows Pyongyang to project an image of increasing international support while countering diplomatic pressure from Western nations.
