Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in Pyongyang, North Korea, to attend the 70th anniversary of the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War.
His delegation, along with a Chinese Communist Party group led by Politburo member Li Hongzhong, were invited to join the "Victory Day" celebration set to occur on Thursday.
The gathering, expected to be marked in a "grand manner that will go down in history," according to North Korean state media, signifies a new flexibility in North Korea's border controls following a rigid self-imposed coronavirus blockade since early 2020.
Earlier reports cited satellite imagery as suggesting North Korea is preparing for a large-scale military parade, a tradition for such anniversaries.
The geopolitical landscape surrounding the anniversary is tense, with North Korea conducting approximately 100 missile tests since the start of 2022 and openly supporting Russia's actions in Ukraine. The US has accused North Korea of supplying arms to Russia, an allegation Pyongyang denies. Concurrently, Russia and China have hindered US-led efforts to reinforce United Nations Security Council sanctions on North Korea following its missile tests.
Beijing has also notably increased exports to North Korea compared to last year, underlining its long-standing objective to prevent the collapse of North Korea’s Kim regime.
