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LAST UPDATE | 21 Mar
A TOP RUSSIAN security official has met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, thanking him for the country’s support of Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine, Russian state media said.
The meeting came after reports that North Korea recently sent additional troops to Russia to aid its war efforts.
Russia’s state-run news agency Tass reported that Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s Security Council secretary, conveyed a message to Kim from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who extended his greetings and vowed to give “utmost attention” to implementing agreements reached in their recent talks.
The agency said Shoigu expressed gratitude on behalf of Russia for North Korea’s “solidarity with Russia’s position on all critical geopolitical issues, particularly on the Ukrainian issue”.
Interfax, another Russian news agency, reported that during the meeting, Shoigu reaffirmed Moscow’s “unconditional readiness” to uphold a security partnership deal reached at last year’s Pyongyang summit, which pledges mutual assistance if either country faces aggression.
The agency, quoting Shoigu, said various issues were discussed during his two-hours-plus meeting with Kim, including Russia’s war in Ukraine, Moscow’s dialogues with the Trump administration and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula.
Shoigu’s visit comes after Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle to a limited ceasefire after President Donald Trump spoke with the countries’ leaders, though it remains to be seen when it might take effect and what possible targets would be off-limits to attack.
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency also confirmed the arrival of a Russian delegation led by Shoigu but did not provide details on the purpose of their visit.
The North has been supplying a vast amount of conventional weapons to Russia, and last autumn it sent about 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia as well, according to US, South Korean and Ukraine intelligence officials.
In late February, South Korea’s spy agency said North Korea appeared to have sent additional troops to Russia. South Korean media put the number of new North Korean soldiers at about 1,000 to 3,000.
South Korea, America and others suspect North Korea is receiving economic and military assistance from Russia in return for providing weapons and troops.
Many experts say North Korea will likely ramp up its support of Russia to win as many benefits as possible from Russia before the war ends.
Shoigu’s trip could be related to Kim’s possible trip to Russia, some observers say. In June 2024, Putin visited Pyongyang and signed a major mutual defence treaty with Kim. At the time, Putin invited Kim to visit Moscow.
Want to know more about what’s happening in Ukraine and why? Check out our FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to finding good information online.
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