Russian Defence Chief Lands in North Korea as Moscow-Pyongyang Ties Deepen
Moscow — Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov arrived in North Korea on Sunday for talks with the country’s leadership and senior military officials, Russia’s defence ministry said, marking the second high-level Russian visit to Pyongyang in recent days.
The visit comes as Moscow and Pyongyang continue to strengthen military and diplomatic cooperation following their 2024 strategic defence pact.Earlier, North Korean state media KCNA reported that Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin had also arrived in Pyongyang to attend the opening ceremony of a newly built memorial honoring North Korean troops killed while fighting in the Ukraine war.
Belousov is expected to hold meetings with North Korea’s top leadership and participate in “ceremonial and commemorative events,” according to the Russian defence ministry.Separately, the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a telegram to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un marking the opening of the memorial.
Putin thanked Kim and North Korean soldiers for assisting Russia in repelling what Moscow described as a major Ukrainian incursion into the western Kursk region and said he was confident the two countries would continue strengthening their strategic partnership.
Russia and North Korea significantly expanded their relations after Kim and Putin met in June 2024 and signed a comprehensive strategic treaty that included a mutual defence clause.Since 2023, both countries have accelerated military exchanges and diplomatic coordination, drawing close international scrutiny over North Korea’s alleged military support for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
The memorial inauguration and Belousov’s visit underscore the growing public acknowledgment of North Korea’s role in the conflict and signal further institutional deepening of Moscow-Pyongyang security ties.
