Putin to Visit North Korea for 1st Time in 24 Years

Russian President Vladimir Putin will be in North Korea on Tuesday and Wednesday. It is the first visit of the Russian president to North Korea in 24 years. Putin last visited Pyongyang in July 2000.

Moscow is enhancing its partnership with the nuclear-armed North Korea since the invasion of Ukraine.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un invited Putin during a visit to Russia’s Far East in September 2023.

Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said Russia and North Korea may sign a partnership agreement during the visit that would include security issues.

Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Putin’s point man for energy, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, will be part of the delegation accompanying Putin.

After North Korea, Putin will visit Vietnam on June 19-20, the Kremlin said.

The US alleges that North Korea has supplied weapons to Russia to help it fight in Ukraine. Pyongyang and Moscow have repeatedly denied this.