Overview

• Russian state media said Putin shared information about his upcoming meeting with President Trump during an Aug. 12 phone call with Kim Jong-un.
• North Korea’s KCNA reported that Kim pledged full support for Russian measures under their 2024 treaty without mentioning the Trump briefing.
• Putin praised North Korean service personnel for their “bravery, heroism and self-sacrificing spirit” in liberating Kursk, highlighting Moscow’s reliance on Pyongyang’s support.
• South Korean and Western intelligence agencies assess that more than 10,000 DPRK troops and large arms transfers have been deployed to Russia’s western front, with hundreds of reported casualties.
• Analysts warn that such coordinated messaging under the June 2024 mutual-defense treaty could influence diplomatic leverage and sanctions discussions at the Aug. 15 Alaska summit.