MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui in the Kremlin on Monday, amid Western allegations that Russia intends to deploy North Korean troops to bolster its military efforts in Ukraine.
Choe, who has been in Russia for the past week, expressed North Korea’s unwavering support for Russia, pledging that her country would stand by Moscow until its “victory” in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The Kremlin released a statement confirming the meeting, along with a video showing Putin and Choe shaking hands prior to their discussions.
During the meeting, Choe conveyed well wishes from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and thanked Putin for the opportunity to meet. The Russian president’s ties with Pyongyang have strengthened in recent months, particularly after he signed a military cooperation agreement with North Korea this summer.
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While addressing the possibility of North Korean troop deployments, Putin has refrained from denying such claims, which have raised alarms in the West.
Last week, Choe held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, emphasizing that North Korea aims to support Russia in what she described as a “sacred struggle” in Ukraine.
The West has accused Russia of planning to use up to 10,000 North Korean soldiers to assist in combat operations, a claim that has heightened tensions in the region.
The meeting coincided with a visit to Kyiv by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the muted response from Western allies regarding the potential deployment of North Korean troops, calling for greater attention to the implications of such military cooperation.
