Pyongyang, North Korea – In a significant diplomatic maneuver, Sergei Shoigu, the influential Secretary of Russia’s Security Council, arrived in Pyongyang on Wednesday for critical talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. This high-level visit, undertaken on the direct orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin, signals a further strengthening of the burgeoning strategic alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang. Russian state media, including TASS and RIA Novosti, anticipate that the agenda will prominently feature current global affairs, with a particular focus on “the situation surrounding Ukraine.”
This marks Shoigu’s second visit to the North Korean capital in less than three months, underscoring the intensified engagement between the two nations. In recent years, Russia and North Korea have forged increasingly close ties, with Pyongyang openly providing military support to Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine. North Korea has publicly defended its military cooperation with Russia, asserting on Monday that these ties are crucial for “ensuring peace and stability” across both Europe and Asia.
The deepening collaboration has tangible implications. According to South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun, citing the country’s intelligence service, approximately 600 North Korean soldiers have reportedly been killed and thousands more wounded while fighting alongside Russian forces. This military alignment was solidified last year when Russia and North Korea signed a comprehensive military deal, notably including a mutual defense clause, during a rare visit by President Putin to the nuclear-armed nation. Shoigu, who last visited Pyongyang in March, had previously lauded this agreement as “fully meeting the interests of both countries,” a sentiment that continues to drive the trajectory of this evolving geopolitical partnership.
