North Korea sends officials to Moscow as Russia-US ties warm

By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) - North Korea has dispatched a diplomatic delegation to Russia amid warming ties between Moscow and Washington.

An economic delegation led by External Economic Relations Minister Yun Jong Ho departed Pyongyang for Russia, state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Tuesday.

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call the same day, reaching an agreement on a ceasefire targeting energy infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later agreed to the ceasefire as well. Discussions also covered securing navigation in the Black Sea.

Yun, who also chairs the North Korea-Russia Intergovernmental Committee for Cooperation in Trade, Economy, Science, and Technology, left for Moscow on Monday, according to the report. A North Korean health delegation, led by Vice-Minister Jon Sol, also traveled to Russia the same day.

South Korean media reports suggested Pyongyang’s move aims to secure compensation from Russia for its military support to Moscow. South Korea’s intelligence agency had previously claimed North Korea deployed thousands of soldiers to the Ukraine-Russia front.

Meanwhile, North Korea's top diplomat Choe Son-hui met with visiting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko in Pyongyang on Saturday.

No further details of the talks were provided, but media reports suggested the meeting was a follow-up to last year’s treaty, which calls for mutual assistance if either country is attacked.

Trump said Wednesday that negotiations on ending Russia’s war against Ukraine are "very much on track" after his call with Zelenskyy, describing the conversation as "very good" and lasting about an hour.