Sergey Shoigu, Russia’s Security Council secretary, arrived in Pyongyang on Friday to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, signaling a deepening of ties between the two nations. The visit, reported by Russia’s state-run Tass news agency, follows reports that North Korea recently dispatched additional troops to Russia to bolster its war efforts against Ukraine. North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) confirmed Shoigu’s arrival but offered no specifics on the agenda.
The trip comes days after Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle to a limited ceasefire on Wednesday, brokered following discussions between President Donald Trump and the nations’ leaders. Details of the ceasefire’s implementation and scope remain unclear. Meanwhile, North Korea’s military support for Russia has intensified, with U.S., South Korean, and Ukrainian intelligence estimating that 10,000 to 12,000 North Korean troops were sent last fall, and South Korea’s spy agency reporting an additional 1,000 to 3,000 troops deployed in late February.
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Analysts speculate that Shoigu’s visit could pave the way for Kim’s potential trip to Moscow, following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invitation during his June 2024 visit to Pyongyang, where he signed a mutual defense treaty with Kim. Experts believe North Korea is leveraging its support for Russia’s war to secure economic and military aid, likely aiming to maximize benefits before the conflict ends.
Shoigu’s previous visits to North Korea underscore this growing alliance. In 2023, as defense minister, he toured a North Korean arms exhibition with Kim, an event critics likened to a sales pitch. In September 2024, he met Kim again to discuss expanding cooperation. On Thursday, Kim oversaw tests of new anti-aircraft missiles—North Korea’s sixth weapons test this year—calling them a “major defense weapons system,” per KCNA. The launches coincided with the conclusion of the U.S.-South Korea Freedom Shield exercise, an 11-day joint drill ending Friday that North Korea condemned as an invasion rehearsal.
North Korea’s Defense Ministry accused the allies of simulating attacks on its underground nuclear facilities during the drills, threatening “the gravest consequences” for future provocations. South Korea’s Unification Ministry urged Pyongyang not to use the exercises as a pretext for aggression. Amid this tension, Trump has expressed willingness to revive nuclear talks with Kim, though experts doubt Kim—currently focused on aiding Russia—will engage until the Ukraine conflict resolves. Their past diplomacy, marked by three summits in 2018-19, collapsed over sanctions disputes. For now, Shoigu’s visit highlights the strategic partnership flourishing between Moscow and Pyongyang.
Key Points:
- Shoigu’s Visit to Pyongyang: Sergey Shoigu, Russia’s Security Council secretary, arrived in North Korea on Friday to meet Kim Jong Un, as reported by Russia’s Tass and confirmed by North Korea’s KCNA, though the agenda remains undisclosed.
- North Korea’s Support for Russia: The visit follows reports of North Korea sending additional troops (1,000–3,000) to Russia in late February, on top of 10,000–12,000 sent last fall, to aid its war against Ukraine, according to U.S., South Korean, and Ukrainian intelligence.
- Ceasefire Context: The trip occurs days after Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle to a limited ceasefire on Wednesday, brokered by President Trump, though its timing and terms are unclear.
- Mutual Benefits: Experts suspect North Korea is exchanging weapons and troops for Russian economic and military aid, aiming to maximize gains before the Ukraine war ends.
- Potential Kim Visit: Shoigu’s visit may foreshadow Kim’s trip to Moscow, following Putin’s invitation during his June 2024 Pyongyang visit, where a mutual defense treaty was signed.
- Past Engagements: Shoigu previously visited North Korea in 2023 (touring an arms exhibition with Kim) and September 2024 (discussing cooperation), highlighting the growing alliance.
- Missile Tests: On Thursday, Kim oversaw tests of new anti-aircraft missiles—North Korea’s sixth weapons test of 2025—coinciding with the end of the U.S.-South Korea Freedom Shield exercise, which Pyongyang condemned.
- Tensions with U.S. and South Korea: North Korea threatened “grave consequences” over the allies’ drills, while South Korea warned against provocations; Trump’s offer to restart nuclear talks with Kim remains unacknowledged amid Pyongyang’s focus on Russia.
