Russia, North Korea agree 'long-term' navy cooperation

[ad_1] Two senior Russian politicians visited North Korea over the weekend, inaugurating a memorial to North Korean troops who died fighting against Ukraine and negotiating a brand new protection cooperation settlement set to run till 2031.

The 2 nations' navy, political and financial cooperation has intensified amid Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine , with Pyongyang providing navy assist to Moscow, not least to push Ukrainian forces again from the Russian border area of Kursk.

Moscow and Pyongyang already signed a mutual defense deal in 2024 amid a gathering between Kim Jong Un and President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang that June.

Protection minister hails new navy cooperation settlement

Russian Protection Minister Andrei Belousov arrived in North Korea, each nations' media reported on Sunday, for talks with Kim and different officers.

Belousov was set to carry talks with North Korea's high management and senior navy officers, and to participate in "ceremonial and commemorative occasions" within the capital. Photos launched by Russia's Protection Ministry confirmed him embracing Kim.

"We agreed with the DPRK Protection Ministry to position our navy cooperation on a secure, long-term footing," Belousov mentioned, utilizing the intials of North Korea's official identify.

"We're able to signal a plan this yr for Russian-Korean navy cooperation for the interval of 2027-2031," he mentioned, in talks additionally together with Protection Minister No Kwang.

<img data-format="MASTER_LANDSCAPE" data-id="76945665" data-url="https://static.dw.com/image/76945665_${formatId}.jpg" data-aspect-ratio="16/9" alt=" In this photo provided by the North Korean government, Russian Parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, third left, and Jo Yong Won, third right, chairman of the Standing Committee of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly, hold a talk at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, April 25, 2026." style="padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; max-height: 0;"/> The chairpersons of North Korea and Russia's parliaments held talks on the Kususan Palace of the Solar in Pyongyang on Saturday Picture: Korean Central Information Company/Korea Information Service/AP Photograph/image alliance

Duma chairman attends memorial to North Korean troopers killed combating in opposition to Ukraine

Belousov additionally introduced navy awards to North Korean servicemen who had fought in opposition to Ukrainian forces within the Russian border area of Kursk, components of which Ukraine seized for a number of months in a counteroffensive.

North Korea had built a memorial in Pyongyang to its soldiers killed fighting against Ukraine .

Putin despatched Kim a telegram to mark the opening, the Kremlin mentioned, thanking Kim and the troopers for his or her efforts to assist reclaim the Kursk area for Russia.

The chairman of the State Duma, the decrease home of the Russian parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin attended an inauguration ceremony within the capital.

Particulars on North Korean troops casualties combating for Russia are laborious to return by, however South Korea has estimated final September that as many as 2,000 had been killed. Solely two North Korean troopers have been captured by Ukrainian forces.

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