Putin thanks North Korea in the Kremlin for soldiers and weapons in the Ukraine war

Putin also used the meeting to highlight his personal relationship with the North Korean leadership. He praised the mutual understanding with ruler Kim Jong-un. According to the Kremlin, the meeting was released as video. The Russian Foreign Ministry had announced on Saturday that Choe Son-hui was traveling to Moscow at the invitation of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Putin's words verbatim

The background to the meeting is the massively expanded military cooperation between the two countries. According to Western intelligence, Pyongyang has sent thousands of soldiers and weapons to support Russia in the war against Ukraine. Putin spoke of a close partnership with North Korea, which is regarded as Moscow's "close ally."

In return for the North Korean assistance, Pyongyang is believed by analysts to receive financial aid, military technology, as well as deliveries of food and energy from Russia. The exact consideration is not publicly quantified; the information is based on assessments by independent observers.

Consideration from Moscow

The Ukrainian side responded with retaliatory strikes against Russian attacks. According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine attacked oil facilities in the Russian region of Stavropol with drones. Tankers in the Black Sea were also hit, Zelensky said.

At the same time, Russia continued its air strikes on Ukraine. The previous night, the Russian army carried out one of the largest attacks to date on the capital, Kyiv. Russian shelling was also reported from other Ukrainian regions. The full extent of the damage and possible casualty figures were not initially quantified.

Reaction from Kyiv and consequences

Ukraine's alliance partners sharply criticized the North Korean support for Russia. Western states accuse Pyongyang of directly enabling Russian warfare by sending soldiers and weapons, thereby assuming a role that is contested under international law.

The meeting at the Kremlin underscores the strategic rapprochement between Moscow and Pyongyang since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Observers see Putin's public thanks as a signal to North Korea that Russia regards the support as a firm component of the joint front against the West. The German-language reporting on the meeting was broadcast on Deutschlandfunk on July 19, 2026.

Significance for the West

With the symbolic equalization of North Korean soldiers with Russian compatriots, Moscow is going beyond previous statements. Until now, Russia had mentioned the use of foreign fighters only in passing; the ceremonial honoring at the Kremlin marks a new level of public recognition.

Internationally, it remains open how the growing Moscow–Pyongyang axis will influence diplomacy surrounding the Ukraine war. While Western states condemn the cooperation, Russia is visibly expanding its relations with North Korea — accompanied by retaliatory strikes on Russian territory and ongoing Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities.