In the most recent indication of the strengthening relations between the two totalitarian governments, North Korea’s top diplomat stated that her nation is “ready to greet” Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to official media on Sunday.
Russia and North Korea, longtime allies, have recently improved relations; in September of last year, Kim Jong Un, the leader of Pyongyang, made an unusual travel abroad to meet with Putin in Russia’s Far East.
The West has accused Pyongyang and Moscow of collaborating to back Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; North Korea is thought to have supplied its partner with hundreds of thousands of artillery shells and weaponry.
North Korean foreign minister Choe Son Hui was in Moscow last week for meetings with Putin and her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
The North Korean “government warmly welcomes President Putin to visit Pyongyang and is ready to greet the Korean people’s closest friend with the greatest sincerity,” Choe told Putin, according to a statement from the foreign minister’s assistant office, carried by the Korean Central News Agency.
Putin expressed “his willingness to visit the DPRK at an early date”, the statement said, referring to the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The statement added that Russia had expressed “deep thanks… for extending full support and solidarity to the stand of the Russian government and people on the special military operation in Ukraine.”
Concerns have been raised in Seoul and Washington by Russia and North Korea’s growing military and economic collaboration.
Leading Russian officials, including the foreign and defense ministers from Moscow, visited North Korea in the previous year, raising fears among Kyiv’s allies about a possible arms deal.
This month, the White House charged that Pyongyang was assisting Moscow’s military effort with “significant and concerning escalation” by transferring ballistic missiles and launchers to Russia.
South Korea has accused Pyongyang of having provided more than one million artillery rounds to Moscow in exchange for advice on military satellite technology.
North Korea succeeded in putting a spy satellite into orbit last year, with Seoul saying it received Russian help.
