Overview

• Sergei Shoigu, Russia's Security Council secretary, met with Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang to express gratitude for North Korea's military and logistical support in the Ukraine war.
• North Korea has reportedly sent up to 12,000 troops and significant quantities of weapons, including artillery and ballistic missiles, to aid Russia in its conflict with Ukraine.
• The June 2024 mutual defense treaty between Russia and North Korea underpins their cooperation, obligating mutual assistance in case of attack.
• Shoigu's visit coincided with North Korea's missile tests, conducted as a response to US-South Korea joint military drills, which Pyongyang views as provocative.
• The meeting follows a tentative ceasefire agreement in the Ukraine conflict mediated by US President Donald Trump, though its implementation remains uncertain.