Putin greets North Korean foreign minister with long handshake in Kremlin

Moscow (Reuters): Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting in Moscow on Monday with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, at a time of mounting concern in the West about growing military ties between the two countries.

Video of the meeting showed the pair shaking hands for a full minute as Putin greeted Choe in the Kremlin.

Putin noted that they were meeting on Russia's National Unity Day, a public holiday, and Choe conveyed "sincere, warm, comradely greetings" from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The United States says North Korea has sent thousands of troops to Russia and is poised to join the war in Ukraine on Moscow's side. Russia has neither confirmed nor denied their presence.

Choe, making her second trip to Russia in six weeks, told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday that the two countries enjoyed relations of "invincible military comradeship" and that North Korea would stand alongside Russia "until the day of victory" in Ukraine.

The Kremlin had said last week that there were no plans for Putin to meet Choe.

Choe, making her second trip to Russia in six weeks, told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday that the two countries enjoyed relations of "invincible military comradeship" and that North Korea would stand alongside Russia "until the day of victory" in Ukraine.

The Kremlin had said last week that there were no plans for Putin to meet Choe.