Putin's Meeting with North Korean Foreign Minister Precedes Possible Trump-Kim Summit
In a notable step ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to South Korea this week, North Korean state media revealed today, Tuesday, October 28, 2025, that Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean Foreign Minister Choi Sun-hui reaffirmed their countries' commitment to enhancing bilateral relations and developing joint cooperation in various fields.
The Korean Central News Agency reported that Minister Choi paid a courtesy visit to Putin on Monday in the Russian capital, Moscow, as part of her tour that includes Russia and Belarus, after leaving Pyongyang on Sunday.
The visit comes at a sensitive time, as Trump recently expressed his desire to hold a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his visit to South Korea on October 29 and 30, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
During her meeting with Putin, Choi discussed "many issues related to enhancing and developing relations between North Korea and Russia in the next phase," according to the North Korean agency, without disclosing additional details.
It noted that Putin asked the minister to convey his warm regards to Kim Jong-un, while Choi conveyed the "best wishes" of the North Korean leader to him.
* Intensive Meetings in Moscow
Before her meeting with the Russian president, Choi held extensive talks with her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, discussing plans for reciprocal visits between senior officials, enhancing bilateral cooperation, as well as diplomatic coordination on major international issues.
The North Korean news agency reported that the two sides "reached a consensus on all the issues discussed," affirming their commitment to accelerating the pace of developing bilateral relations in various fields.
Pyongyang also expressed its full support for Moscow in the war against Ukraine, while Russia emphasized its support for North Korea's efforts to defend its sovereignty and national interests, according to the North Korean statement.
For its part, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Lavrov and Choi condemned the United States and its allies for what they described as "escalating international tensions," including on the Korean Peninsula, while official statements from Pyongyang contained no direct reference to Washington.
* Choi's Absence Reduces Chances of Trump-Kim Meeting
Minister Choi's visit to Moscow has drawn the attention of observers, especially amid rising speculation about a possible surprise meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un during the U.S. president's visit to Seoul.
However, Choi's absence from Pyongyang—being the primary official responsible for relations with the United States—was seen as an indicator of the weakened chances for this anticipated meeting.
It is worth noting that during his first term, Trump held three historic summits with Kim Jong-un:
• The first in Singapore in June 2018,
• The second in Hanoi, Vietnam in February 2019,
• And the third was a brief meeting in the village of Panmunjom within the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas in June of the same year.
These diplomatic moves come at a time when attention is turning to the APEC summit and what surprises it may hold for U.S.-North Korean relations, amid the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war and rising tensions in East Asia.
