Putin to Kim: 'Everything is going according to plan' in Russia–North Korea relations
Photo: Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un (Getty Images)
Russian leader Vladimir Putin asked North Korea’s Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui to convey to her country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, that everything is "going to plan” in bilateral relations, according to Reuters.
"We talked in detail in Beijing about our relations and prospects for development," Putin told Choe, referring to his talks with Kim during their joint participation in the celebrations in the Chinese capital in early September, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Asia.
"Everything is going according to plan. Please convey my best wishes to him (Kim)," the Russian leader said.
Putin and Kim signed a strategic partnership agreement last year, which includes a mutual defense pact under which North Korea has sent soldiers, missiles, weapons, and ammunition to Russia in support of its war against Ukraine.
Pyongyang has not disclosed the exact number of troops. Still, Ukraine and South Korea estimate that North Korea has sent more than 10,000 servicemen to the war in Ukraine in exchange for economic and military-technical assistance from Russia.
According to South Korea’s intelligence agency, around 2,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed in combat as of September.
Reuters also reports that Choe met in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, with whom she discussed bilateral relations and the regional dynamics in Asia.
North Korea’s support for Russian aggressor
As is known, North Korea supports Russia in its war against Ukraine. Reports indicate that North Korean troops were involved in operations in Russia’s Kursk region, which at that time was partially under the control of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
Previously, both countries stated that their cooperation is based on the treaty signed in June last year by dictators Putin and Kim Jong Un, which includes provisions on “mutual defense.”
During Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to North Korea in July 2025, Kim Jong Un declared that his country was ready to “unconditionally support and encourage” all of Moscow’s actions, including its war against Ukraine.
According to Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, Russia would have long lost the war if it weren’t for support from its allies, particularly North Korea.
He also noted that North Korea supplies up to 40% of Russia’s ammunition used in the war against Ukraine, indicating a deepening partnership between Pyongyang and Moscow.
Recently, it was reported that Russia may resume secret arms shipments from North Korea after a two-month pause. Fresh satellite images show the movement of the Russian vessel Lady R, previously linked to illicit cargo from North Korea.
