Pyongyang: North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui will visit Russia and Belarus at the invitation of the two countries' governments, as reported by the North's state media. The announcement was made on Sunday, although specific details, including the exact dates of Choe's trip, were not immediately disclosed.
According to Yonhap News Agency, this visit marks Choe's first trip to Russia in about a year, her last being in November of the previous year when she paid a courtesy call on Russian President Vladimir Putin. The timing of the visit fuels speculation about the potential for a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump, who is scheduled to visit South Korea later this week for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. The announcement of Choe's visit may suggest that such a meeting is becoming less likely.
Ahead of President Trump's Asia tour, which includes stops in Malaysia and Japan, he reiterated his willingness to meet with Kim, stating that he is still "open" to another meeting. However, observers consider the chances of the two leaders meeting to be slim, given North Korea's close military alignment with Russia, including troop deployment in support of Moscow's actions in Ukraine. Additionally, Pyongyang has been working to strengthen its relationship with China.
Kim Jong-un has expressed his willingness to engage with the U.S., but only if Washington is willing to drop its demand for North Korea's denuclearization. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Malaysia, President Trump referred to North Korea as "sort of a nuclear power," addressing Pyongyang's demand to be recognized as such to engage in talks with the U.S.
A senior U.S. official mentioned that a meeting between Trump and Kim is not currently on the agenda for Trump's Asia trip, though he noted that "things can change."