North Korean Foreign Minister visits Russia amid speculation of Kim Jong Un trip
Putin met with North Korea's foreign minister and thanked Pyongyang for supporting his war against Ukraine, sparking speculation about a potential Kim Jong Un summit.
Objective Facts
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korea's foreign minister and thanked Pyongyang for supporting his war against Ukraine on July 19, 2026. The visit comes without an obvious occasion and has raised speculation that she may be coordinating a possible visit to Russia by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The two sides are likely to discuss ways to further strengthen North Korea-Russia relations through Kim Jong-un's anticipated visit to Russia later this year, with Russia possibly seeking additional military assistance from North Korea, including artillery shells and missiles. Choe is expected to brief Russian officials on recent developments in North Korea-China relations and reassure Moscow that Pyongyang's improving ties with Beijing will not undermine its partnership with Russia. South Korean regional observers note that the visit reflects North Korea's balancing act between two major partners.
Deep Dive
North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui's July 18-20 visit to Moscow represents a significant moment in the consolidation of the North Korea-Russia strategic partnership signed in June 2024. The visit occurred shortly after a May 2026 Chinese delegation visit to Pyongyang marking the 65th anniversary of the China-North Korea treaty, and follows Xi Jinping's June 2026 visit to North Korea—his first in seven years. This diplomatic sequencing reveals Kim Jong Un's effort to manage two major-power relationships simultaneously as his regime prioritizes both military support and economic cooperation. The absence of a scheduled multilateral event or anniversary anchoring the visit strongly suggests preparation for a Kim-Putin summit; Putin explicitly invited Kim to visit Russia in June 2024, but the trip has not materialized. Russia has become increasingly dependent on North Korean artillery shells and missiles, particularly following recent Ukrainian drone attacks, and South Korean intelligence authorities reportedly believe Kim has yet to receive sufficient compensation for North Korea's troop deployment to Russia's war in Ukraine. This compensation gap may be a key agenda item. Simultaneously, Yang Moo-jin, a distinguished professor at the University of North Korean Studies, suggests Choe will likely discuss strengthening relations through Kim's anticipated visit later this year, while briefing Russia on North Korea-China developments and reassuring Moscow that improving ties with Beijing will not undermine the Russia partnership. The timing reveals North Korea's growing leverage: both Beijing and Moscow are seeking closer coordination with Pyongyang, with North Korea seeking to elevate its status as the central pillar of trilateral cooperation among North Korea, China and Russia in response to the South Korea-US-Japan partnership. Key unresolved questions include the timeline and location of a potential Kim-Putin summit—Putin may travel to Russia's Far East in September for the Eastern Economic Forum as he did during the 2023 summit with Kim, or Kim could travel beyond Vladivostok to visit Moscow for the first time. Additionally, the outcome of compensation negotiations over North Korean military support and the degree to which China's recent diplomatic engagement with North Korea will shape Pyongyang's strategic priorities remain unclear.
Regional Perspective
South Korea's Unification Ministry spokesperson Yoon Min Ho said Seoul was closely monitoring the meetings but declined to assess whether Moscow and Pyongyang were discussing another summit between their leaders. South Korean analysts view the visit as North Korea's attempt to reassure Moscow of its loyalty despite warming relations with China. South Korean intelligence authorities reportedly believe Kim has yet to receive sufficient compensation for North Korea's troop deployment to Russia's war in Ukraine, and whether the two sides can bridge differences over that issue could become a key test ahead of a summit. Chinese media coverage emphasizes the broader great-power competition context. Beijing has shifted its stance to take the same side with North Korea, creating more space for Pyongyang to evade U.S. and U.N. sanctions while bolstering ties with Beijing, with trade and cooperation likely to be strengthened even as Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo beef up their trilateral cooperation. The Xi-Kim summit in June 2026 saw the two agree to strengthen their "strategic relationship" with socialist principles, with Xi importantly refraining from commenting on North Korea's nuclear weapons development, with Chinese readouts making no mention of denuclearization. North Korea's diplomatic leverage has increased as both China and Russia seek closer coordination with Pyongyang, and since relations between North Korea and China normalized, Pyongyang has found itself courted simultaneously by both Beijing and Moscow, with North Korea seeking to elevate its status as the central pillar of trilateral cooperation among North Korea, China and Russia in response to the South Korea-US-Japan partnership. North Korea is expected to say that, despite deepening relations with China, the North Korea-Russia 'blood alliance' will not be affected.