Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of Russia’s Security Council and a longtime confidant of President Vladimir Putin, met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on Tuesday,marking their second face-to-face meeting in just two weeks.
Shoigu’s visit comes with an unmistakable message: Russia and North Korea are forging a deeper strategic alliance in direct response to what both nations characterize as a hostile and increasingly provocative West.
“Special Instructions from Putin”
Shoigu, who formerly served as Russia’s Defense Minister, arrived in North Korea carrying what the Kremlin called “special instructions from President Putin.” The details of those instructions remain classified, but Shoigu emphasized their importance to Kim during their warm public exchange.
“The President’s instruction must be fulfilled,” Shoigu told Kim, who chuckled while welcoming the Russian envoy in a widely circulated video clip published by Rossiiskaya Gazeta.
Kim, dressed in his signature Mao-style suit, responded that Shoigu’s frequent visits in recent months signaled just how strong the Russia-North Korea relationship has become. The two were seen walking side by side into a grand negotiation hall lined with red carpets and military honors.
A Pact Forged in Conflict
Their discussion follows the formalization of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty signed between Russia and North Korea in June 2024. The treaty includes a mutual defense clause, and Moscow has increasingly invoked it to justify closer cooperation with Pyongyang—including the controversial deployment of North Korean troops to the frontlines in Ukraine’s Kursk region.
Russia has credited North Korean forces with helping expel Ukrainian units from the region, although both sides remain tight-lipped about operational details. British military intelligence recently estimated over 6,000 North Korean casualties during the Kursk campaign—figures that Pyongyang has not acknowledged.
Kim has hailed these actions as evidence of a “comrade-in-arms” bond with Putin, calling the Russian president his “dearest comrade” in a statement last week.
Weapons, Trains, and Warnings
Washington and Seoul have accused North Korea of supplying Russia with weapons, including ballistic missiles, anti-tank rockets, and millions of rounds of ammunition for the ongoing war in Ukraine. While both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied such exchanges, a Reuters investigation in April 2025 uncovered evidence of massive North Korean arms shipments transported by sea and rail into Russian territory.
Furthermore, Russia announced plans this month to restart the Moscow-Pyongyang passenger rail service, inactive since 2020. At over 10,000 kilometers, it will become the world’s longest direct train route, potentially symbolizing not only geographical but political connectivity between the two sanctioned states.
Geopolitical Implications
Shoigu’s recent back-to-back visits raise significant questions about what Russia is planning behind closed doors with North Korea. With NATO watching closely, and as tensions escalate in Ukraine and across the Indo-Pacific, the implications are global:
- China, North Korea’s traditional patron, remains cautious about Pyongyang’s involvement in direct military aid to Moscow.
- Japan and South Korea, already concerned with North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, now face a scenario where their neighbor is actively embedded in European conflict zones.
- The U.S., while issuing warnings and fresh sanctions, may be forced to reassess its strategy on dual-containment of Russia and North Korea.
What’s Next?
Shoigu’s trip is part of what observers are calling a new Cold War alignment, where shared resentment toward Western sanctions and diplomacy is pushing Moscow and Pyongyang into a tighter military and ideological partnership.
Whether this will translate into a more formal alliance—or lead to broader regional escalations—is still unclear. But one thing is certain: Russia and North Korea are no longer merely neighbors with mutual interests,they’re emerging as strategic partners in defiance of the current world order.
As Shoigu returned to Moscow, his message echoed loud and clear: “The president’s orders will be fulfilled.”
Written By Joe Brens
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