North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un Meets Russian State Duma Speaker in Pyongyang

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met the speaker of Russia's lower house in Pyongyang on Sunday, a foreign media report said.

Kim met Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, who visited the country to attend the opening ceremony of a memorial museum honoring soldiers killed while fighting for Russia in its war with Ukraine, according to Russia's Tass news agency.

During the meeting, Volodin conveyed Russian President Vladimir Putin's congratulations on Kim's reelection as chairman of the State Affairs Commission.

He also expressed gratitude for North Korea's "fraternal support" for Russia, saying: "We jointly honor the memory of those heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of our homeland. This is truly a gesture from a friend," according to Tass.

Bilateral ties between Kim and Putin "have become key to building the future, especially during the most difficult times," Volodin added.

North Korea was set to open the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats in Overseas Military Operations in Pyongyang, commemorating its soldiers who died while fighting for Russia in the war.

The North deployed around 15,000 combat troops to support Russia in the war after Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a strategic partnership treaty in June 2024.

Meanwhile, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov arrived in the North on Sunday for a working visit, according to the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang.

Belousov is expected to hold meetings with North Korean leadership and attend various commemorative events amid growing military ties between the two countries.