Russian and North Korean defense officials agreed over the weekend to establish long-term military cooperation, with plans to sign a detailed agreement covering 2027 to 2031.

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov traveled to Pyongyang, where he met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Defense Minister No Kwang Chol. Russia's State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin also visited and held discussions with Kim. The talks coincided with the inauguration of a memorial complex honoring North Korean soldiers killed while supporting Russia's war effort in Ukraine.

Belousov stated that the two sides had reached an agreement to place their military cooperation on a "stable, long-term footing." He added, "We are ready to sign a plan this year for Russian-Korean military cooperation for the period of 2027-2031." Kim reaffirmed North Korea's commitment, pledging to "continue to fully support Russia’s policies of defending its sovereignty, territorial integrity and security interests."

The agreement builds on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty signed in June 2024 by Vladimir Putin and Kim during the Russian president's visit to Pyongyang. That pact, which entered into force in December 2024, includes a mutual defense clause under Article 4, obligating each side to provide military and other assistance "without delay" if the other faces an armed attack. Putin signed the treaty into law in November 2024, and North Korea ratified it shortly after.

Military ties have deepened since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. North Korea has supplied ballistic missiles and munitions to Moscow and deployed thousands of troops to the Kursk region, where they helped repel a Ukrainian incursion in 2024. South Korea estimates around 2,000 North Korean casualties in the conflict, with only two captured alive. In return, Russia has provided North Korea with financial aid, food, energy, and advanced military technology, helping Pyongyang evade international sanctions.

During the visit, Volodin praised the North Korean troops for fighting "shoulder-to-shoulder with our soldiers to liberate Russian territory from Ukrainian Nazis." He called their sacrifice "the true spirit of comradeship." Belousov presented military awards to North Korean servicemen who participated in the Kursk operation. Putin sent a telegram to Kim expressing gratitude for the North Korean soldiers' efforts.

The memorial, located at the Kususan Palace of the Sun, symbolizes the growing alignment between the two nations. Kim wrote a message there: "The souls of the fallen will live forever with the great honour they defended." Analysts view the new cooperation plan as a step toward institutionalizing ties beyond the Ukraine conflict, potentially including joint training, arms transfers, and technology exchanges.

This development occurs amid ongoing international concerns over the Russia-North Korea partnership, which has strained relations with Western allies and prompted sanctions responses.