• Sergey Shoigu, accompanied Kim Jong Un to a defence exhibition.
• The visit by Shoigu and a Chinese delegation marks North Korea’s first major opening to the world.
• The three countries’ solidarity is seen as a revival of their Cold War-era coalition.

Russia’s Defence Minister, Sergey Shoigu, and a Chinese delegation recently visited North Korea to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, celebrated as “Victory Day” in North Korea. During the visit, they attended a defence exhibition that featured North Korea’s banned ballistic missiles, despite UN Security Council resolutions against such displays.

The visit of the Russian and Chinese delegations is seen as North Korea’s first major engagement with the world since the COVID-19 pandemic. Shoigu presented Kim Jong Un with a letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“[Kim] expressed his views on the issues of mutual concern in the struggle to safeguard the sovereignty, development and interests of the two countries from the high-handed and arbitrary practices of the imperialists and to realise international justice and peace,” North Korean media said.

“We’ve come a long way from when North Korea would avoid showing off its nuclear capabilities when senior foreign dignitaries from Russia and China were in town,” said Ankit Panda of the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, calling the tour “remarkable”.

“The personal tour for Shoigu – and Shoigu’s willingness to be photographed with Kim in the course of this tour – is evidence that Moscow is complacent with North Korea’s ongoing nuclear modernisation,” he said.

The display of North Korea’s nuclear-capable missiles at the exhibition underscores the countries’ alliance against the US and signals Russia’s apparent acceptance of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. The visit also suggests a potential revival of the Russian-Chinese-North Korean coalition from the past.

South Korea hopes the visit will encourage North Korea to return to dialogue, while the White House notes that Russia’s engagement with North Korea comes as it seeks support amid the conflict in Ukraine.

“It’s been no secret … Mr Putin is reaching out to other countries for help and support in fighting his war in Ukraine. And that includes, we know, some outreach to [North Korea],” he said.

Overall, the visit and missile exhibition have garnered international attention and raised questions about the dynamics between North Korea, Russia, and China in the current geopolitical landscape.

“It may signify that the current geopolitical circumstances are starting to erode Russia’s longstanding interest in preserving the global non-proliferation regime,” said Artyom Lukin

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