Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced on 30/12 that she commissioned renowned artist Nikas Safronov to paint a portrait of Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as a gift for the 2026 New Year.

This was a reciprocal gesture from Zakharova after she received a white ceramic vase, a gift from Kim Yo Jong conveyed through North Korea's Ambassador to Russia.

The gift from Kim Yo Jong (left) to Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson and the portrait of Kim presented in return. *Photo: NK News*

In a post, Zakharova stated that despite no personal relationship with the North Korean official, both she and artist Safronov felt the portrait captured the "necessary" demeanor for a woman in Kim's position: combining gentleness and femininity with strength and integrity.

The exchange of New Year's gifts occurred amidst a period when Moscow and Pyongyang continued to strengthen their partnership across various sectors including security, diplomacy, and economy this year.

A few days prior, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin also exchanged New Year's greetings for 2026.

According to North Korean state media, in his message to the Russian President, Kim described bilateral relations as a "precious common asset" for both nations. He also stated that 2025 was a significant year, as the two countries "gradually wrote the great biography of their alliance," solidified by "blood and life-and-death struggle in the same trench."

By Thanh Danh (Sources: Yonhap, NK News)