President Vladimir Putin received North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui in the Kremlin on Sunday, using the meeting to express gratitude for Pyongyang’s military assistance in the Ukraine conflict and to pledge that North Korean soldiers would be honoured alongside Russian troops. The encounter, which included Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, underscored the accelerating institutionalisation of a de facto military alliance between the two states.

According to a Kremlin readout, Putin thanked North Korea for its support of what Moscow calls the “special military operation,” and stated that the “heroic deeds” of North Korean servicemen would never be forgotten. Choe, in turn, conveyed a “warm, comradely greeting” from leader Kim Jong Un, whom she described as addressing Putin as “the closest and dearest friend.” She reiterated that strengthening relations with Russia is an “unchanging, consistent position” of the North Korean government, citing the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty signed in June 2024, which includes a mutual defence clause.

The meeting is the latest in a sequence of high-level exchanges that have reshaped bilateral ties since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Western intelligence assessments and South Korean officials indicate that North Korea has deployed ground troops to Russia’s Kursk region and supplied artillery shells and ballistic missiles. In return, analysts in Seoul and Washington note, Pyongyang has received fuel, food, financial assistance, and access to Russian military technology, including help with satellite and missile programmes. The 2024 treaty, which both sides now characterise as an alliance, provides a formal framework for this cooperation.

The deepening Moscow–Pyongyang axis has drawn condemnation from the United States, South Korea, and European capitals, which view it as a violation of United Nations sanctions and a destabilising factor in both Europe and Northeast Asia. Russian and North Korean officials deny any illicit transfers, insisting their cooperation is lawful. The Kremlin has signalled that the partnership will continue to expand, with further visits and joint projects expected. For North Korea, the alliance offers a rare strategic patron and economic lifeline; for Russia, it provides a steady supply of munitions and a political signal that it is not isolated. The dossier remains active, with both sides publicly committed to implementing the treaty’s provisions.