North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reiterated his full support for Russia's war in Ukraine during a high-profile meeting with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang, North Korean state media reported on Saturday.
The meeting on Friday came after South Korean intelligence suggested in late February that North Korea had likely sent troops to assist Russia in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
According to Russian and North Korean state media, Kim and Shoigu discussed various geopolitical issues, including Moscow's engagement with the Trump administration and the security dynamics on the Korean Peninsula.
Kim and Shoigu reaffirmed their commitment to a major mutual defense treaty, which pledges mutual military assistance in the event of aggression against either country.
Kim emphasized North Korea's steadfast backing of Russia, stating that his government would "invariably support Russia in the struggle for defending their national sovereignty, territorial integrity and security interests," according to Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency.
Shoigu, in turn, delivered a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who extended his greetings to Kim and assured him that Russia would give "utmost attention" to implementing agreements reached in their recent summits.
The Russian security chief also expressed appreciation for North Korea's "solidarity with Russia's position on all critical geopolitical issues, particularly on the Ukrainian issue."
While neither North Korean nor Russian media confirmed whether any new agreements were signed, Shoigu departed Pyongyang later on Friday, marking another step in the deepening military and diplomatic ties between the two nations.
