Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin recently held a phone conversation, as confirmed by both countries. Notably, while North Korea unusually disclosed Kim’s communication with a foreign leader, it deliberately omitted any mention of the upcoming U.S.-Russia summit, raising questions about its motives.
On Tuesday, the Kremlin announced the phone call between the two leaders, revealing that President Putin had shared details with Kim regarding his forthcoming meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
However, the official newspaper of the Workers’ Party, Rodong Sinmun, while reporting on the Kim-Putin phone call on Wednesday, made no reference to the U.S.-Russia summit.
The newspaper stated that the two nations reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, though it avoided providing specific details.
It did, however, emphasize that President Putin praised the North Korean military for its courage, heroism, and spirit of sacrifice.
The upcoming summit between Presidents Trump and Putin in Alaska on Friday is expected to discuss potential resolutions to the Ukraine conflict. This meeting could represent a crucial diplomatic juncture for North Korea, which has been reaping strategic benefits through its military deployments and arms exports to Russia.
North Korea’s decision to withhold comments on the U.S.-Russia summit likely stems from its reluctance to take diplomatic risks by making premature judgments in an unpredictable situation.
Hyun Seung-soo, deputy director of the Korea Institute for National Unification, suggested that North Korea may have deemed it unnecessary to report on the uncertain discussions and potential outcomes of the summit. He added that as North Korea considers further military deployments or follow-up actions, it will closely monitor the summit—especially if a favorable atmosphere for ending the Ukraine conflict emerges, as this could disrupt its strategic operations.
Notably, North Korea may feel compelled to counterbalance the apparent rapport between Presidents Trump and Putin. If the summit leads to positive discussions about ending the Ukraine conflict, North Korea might seek assurances from Russia that its bilateral relationship will remain stable after the conflict.
Some analysts predict that the U.S.-Russia summit may not yield significant results, but they caution that President Trump’s unpredictable nature must be taken into account. Even if specific issues, such as territorial disputes, are not addressed in the post-conflict period, the trajectory of U.S.-Russia relations is something North Korea should monitor closely.
This marks the first time that North Korea has disclosed a phone conversation between Kim and a foreign head of state. This announcement not only highlights and reinforces the relationship between Kim and Putin but also hints at the existence of a direct line of communication between them.
While it remains unclear which side initiated the call, the fact that the conversation took place suggests that the situation was pressing.
Hyun noted that any agreements reached during the U.S.-Russia summit could significantly impact future North Korea-Russia relations, and in this context, Kim likely sought to secure Russia’s continued strong support even after the meeting.