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Russia and North Korea Agree on New Defense Cooperation Plan Through 2031
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Russia’s Defense Minister and the Speaker of the State Duma visited North Korea over the weekend, where they agreed on a new defense cooperation plan between the two countries set to run through 2031, according to Deutsche Welle on April 26.
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Military, political, and economic ties between Moscow and Pyongyang have intensified since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the outlet noted.
The two countries had previously signed a mutual defense agreement in 2024 during a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the Kremlin leader Putin in Pyongyang in June of that year.
According to Deutsche Welle, details of the newly agreed framework have not yet been disclosed.
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov arrived in North Korea on Sunday, the outlet reported. During the visit, he held talks with North Korea’s top leadership and senior military officials, and took part in what were described as “ceremonial and commemorative events” in the capital.
“We are ready to sign this year a plan for Russian-Korean military cooperation for the period 2027–2031,” Belousov said during talks that also included North Korea’s Defense Minister No Kwang Chol.
The visit also coincided with broader efforts by Pyongyang to showcase its alignment with Moscow in the context of the war in Ukraine.
On April 26, North Korea opened a new state-run museum in Pyongyang displaying what it claims are captured weapons used by Ukraine’s Defense Forces. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the facility—referred to as the “Memorial Museum of Overseas Military Operations”—features a collection of Western-supplied military equipment allegedly seized during Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The exhibition reportedly includes tanks such as the Leopard 2A4 and M1A1 Abrams, as well as German Marder infantry fighting vehicles, French AMX-10RC reconnaissance vehicles, VAB armored personnel carriers, and Turkish-made Kirpi mine-resistant vehicles.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended the opening ceremony alongside senior officials and a Russian delegation led by Defense Minister Andrei Belousov. Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin was also present, according to state media reports from both countries.
In addition, North Korea has introduced a new residential district in Pyongyang for the families of soldiers killed in overseas deployments, according to KCNA and reporting by Reuters, in what analysts see as an unusual public signal of the country’s involvement alongside Russia in the war against Ukraine.
The opening of a museum dedicated to “overseas military operations,” featuring displays of what are claimed to be captured Ukrainian weapons, points to a wider effort by Pyongyang to institutionalize and openly present its role in the war.
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