North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has met with Russia’s vice defense minister on the “importance and necessity” of military cooperation to “defend mutual security interests,” according to North Korean official media on Friday.
Kim met with a Russian military group led by Vice Minister Aleksey Krivoruchko in Pyongyang on Thursday, according to media reports.
Kim emphasised his staunch support and sympathy for Russia’s battle with Ukraine, noting the necessity for the two nations’ forces to “get united more firmly” to build bilateral relations.
Aleksey Krivoruchko is the highest-ranking Russian military official to travel to North Korea since Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un met.
The two met in Pyongyang to discuss ways to strengthen their economic and security ties while also emphasising their united opposition to Western sanctions..
In a new partnership treaty unveiled during their summit, they pledged to provide military aid “without delay” if either was attacked.
Russia has been warming up to North Korea since Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The US has accused North Korea of supplying Russia weaponry for use in the Ukraine conflict, although both North Korea and Russia deny this.
