Russian defense minister takes trip to N-Korea

(MENAFN) Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov is in North Korea for talks with his North Korean counterpart, No Kwang-chol, to discuss the implementation of a strategic cooperation agreement signed between Moscow and Pyongyang earlier this year. Belousov emphasized that the treaty aims to stabilize Northeast Asia, preserve the regional balance of power, and reduce the risk of conflict, including nuclear warfare, on the Korean Peninsula. The North Korean minister expressed appreciation for the active exchanges and cooperation between the two countries' military departments.

This high-level meeting follows reports from the US and its allies suggesting that North Korea had sent around 12,000 troops to Russia for training and potential deployment in the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have neither confirmed nor denied the reports. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that it is up to the two countries to decide how to fulfill their commitments under the treaty, without interference from external parties. The treaty also includes mutual assistance in the event of aggression by a third country. This comes after an incursion into the Kursk Region by Ukrainian forces in August, a move that Western nations supported as part of Ukraine’s right to self-defense amid its conflict with Russia
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Moscow views the Ukraine conflict as a US-led proxy war against Russia, with Ukraine being used as a tool by Washington. Russian officials have accused the US of escalating the war by approving long-range missile strikes on Russian territory. Putin has stated that the involvement of donor nations, like the US, in supplying weapons to Ukraine makes them de facto parties to the conflict.

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