Andrei Belousov arrives in North Korea for talks
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- Andrei Belousov arrived in Pyongyang on April 26, 2026, for talks with Kim Jong Un and senior military officials.
- Vyacheslav Volodin attended the opening of a new memorial for North Korean troops killed in Ukraine, highlighting Moscow’s gratitude for NK assistance in the Kursk region.
- Vladimir Putin sent a telegram thanking Kim Jong Un for North Korean support in repelling a Ukrainian incursion into Kursk, reaffirming the 2024 comprehensive strategic treaty with a mutual defence pact.
Why it matters: Russia gains a reinforced ally in North Korea, while Ukraine faces a deeper adversarial coalition; the April 26, 2026 visit cements a 2024 mutual‑defence pact, likely prompting heightened security concerns for U.S. allies in the region.
