Russia’s Putin Meets North Korean Delegation Amid Reports of Growing Military Cooperation
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with a delegation of North Korean party leaders in Moscow, signaling a continued strengthening of ties between the two nations, Bloomberg reports.
The meeting, reported by Russia’s Interfax news agency, was held with Ri Hi Yong, a secretary of the central committee of North Korea’s ruling Worker’s Party of Korea.
The report coincides with claims from Seoul that North Korea has deployed additional troops to Russia to support it in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently oversaw a test launch of a new strategic cruise missile, emphasizing the need to bolster the country’s “nuclear shield.” Kim called for “a more thorough battle readiness of nuclear force and full preparedness for their use,” according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Friday.
“It is the responsible mission and duty of the DPRK’s nuclear armed forces to permanently defend the national sovereignty and security with the reliable nuclear shield,” Kim stated, using the acronym for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
KCNA reported that the missiles successfully hit targets after traversing a 1,587-kilometer oval trajectory, without specifying the number of missiles launched. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff indicated they are monitoring the situation and analyzing the specifics of the projectiles fired from North Korea’s west coast.
The North Korean delegation’s visit to Moscow takes place amidst shifts in US policy regarding the war in Ukraine. President Donald Trump has agreed to discussions with Putin regarding a potential halt to the conflict.
