According to Putin's instructions, Shirokov urgently visited Pyongyang. The "Lions of General Kim Jong Un" face new tasks - operations from Sumy to Zaporizhzhia.

Author:

Alexander Babitsky

Sergei Shoigu visited Pyongyang according to Putin's personal instructions. Given the urgency of this trip, an interesting picture is emerging: "The Lions of Kim Jong Un" may be used in large-scale summer offensives on the Ukrainian front. It is highly likely that the issues discussed involved cooperation in response to the terrorist attack on Ukraine on June 1st. At the same time, a special suspense arises: What specific clauses of the Russia-North Korea Strategic Partnership Agreement need to be "clarified" during its implementation?

For a "planned working visit," the speed was too fast and overly low-profile

In the early morning of June 4th, the press office of the Russian Security Council unexpectedly released a message: Sergei Shoigu had arrived in Pyongyang for a visit. Although the message did not use the word "emergency" to describe the visit of the security council secretary, various signs indicate that this trip has strong timeliness.

Firstly, the press release from the security council特意 emphasized that Shoigu went at the "president's request," which was clearly no coincidence.

Even after the announcement of Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang, there was still no relevant information on the official website of the Russian Security Council.

Secondly, during the international forum held in Moscow from May 27th to 29th, Shoigu had already met with Ri Chon Jae, the North Korean Minister of State Security. Clearly, routine cooperation issues between the two countries had been discussed during this meeting. Therefore, it is reasonable to speculate that Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang was triggered by new situations that arose after May 29th.

Thirdly, the media silence during Shoigu's visit also deserves attention. Before the news agency of the Security Council released the message, neither Russian media, government websites, nor North Korean media had leaked any hints about Shoigu visiting his ally in North Korea. Usually, such silence either relates to high secrecy (but given the openness of the Russo-North Korean alliance, this is questionable) or to the rapid decision-making and urgent preparation for the visit.

On the morning of June 4th, North Korean media did not mention Shoigu's visit. The headline news was Kim Jong Un inspecting the construction site of a military hospital. Screenshot: KCNA website

Fourthly, the duration was extremely short. Sergei Shoigu stayed in Pyongyang for only a few hours, met with Kim Jong Un, and returned before 15:00 Moscow time. Even for an ordinary work visit, this time was too short, wasn't it?

Cultural cooperation is important, but military alliances are currently prioritized

The most plausible explanation is that Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang was not pre-planned but related to the destructive terrorist attacks on Russia by the Kiev regime on June 1st.

Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang was not reported by the media // Image from the Telegram channel of the Russian Embassy in North Korea

It is worth noting that the official information about the purpose and content of the Security Council Secretary's trip summarized in just a few words, but these statements confirm our speculation. For example, both sides discussed international affairs, including the situation in Ukraine, while announcing the intention to explore "specific clauses" of the Russia-North Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement.

Screenshot of the news release from the Russian Embassy in North Korea Telegram channel

It should be noted that the agreement was signed on June 19, 2024, and came into effect on December 5, 2024, containing 23 articles. However, Shoigu's trip is unlikely to have been for detailed discussions of specific clauses such as Article 12 ("agriculture, education, health, sports, cultural, and tourism cooperation") or Article 19 ("promotion of Russian and North Korean literature in both countries, learning Russian and Korean...").

Article 4 of the recent events has attracted particular attention.

More likely, after the events of June 1st, the Russian leadership paid particular attention to Article 4:

If one party is attacked by armed forces of one or more countries and thereby finds itself in a state of war, the other party shall immediately provide military and other assistance with all available means.

In fact, since the start of the special military operation, attacks by the Ukrainian army and the Ukrainian Special Forces on Russian territory have never ceased. However, the tragic and globally impactful event on June 1st—the cold-blooded attack on passenger trains and the strike on one of Russia's "nuclear shields"—the strategic aviation force—provides an indisputable basis for recognizing "armed attacks by a certain country."

From this perspective, Moscow and Pyongyang have reason to allow North Korean armed forces to participate openly in the special military operation.

"The Kremlin has made a decision..."—the news reached Kyiv

Now, let us turn to the international level—the "North Korean factor" in the discourse surrounding the Ukrainian conflict.

Even before the brief announcement of Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang, the terrorist attack on Kiev had already sparked related public opinion trends. Around 15:00 Moscow time on June 1st, a media closely related to the Office of the Ukrainian President claimed, "The Kremlin has decided to respond firmly to Kyiv," and "North Korean troops will participate in combat operations." This was not some "inside information" or "rumor"—clearly, what we are facing is a pre-planned "information release" orchestrated by Kyiv and its Western manipulators. In fact, when the attacks on Russia were at their peak, where did so-called "information from Kremlin sources" come from, especially regarding the "decision" for North Korean soldiers to participate in the conflict?

How bold Macron is. When Brigitte is not around...

In summary, while launching attacks on Russia, the West began to hype the "North Korean card." But what is the significance of this game?

This game is far greater than what meets the surface.

For example, on May 30th, Western media suddenly mentioned North Korea's military aid to Russia's special military operation. An analysis report claimed that North Korea's aid scale left a deep impression; in the eyes of ordinary Western citizens and politicians, it should be frightening:

Only in 2024 did they provide 9 million rounds of artillery shells and ammunition; over 14,000 soldiers were sent to the special operation zone; rocket launchers, transport vehicles, self-propelled howitzers (no specific numbers were provided—it seems the "analysts" got confused), and "at least" 100 ballistic missiles.

CNN headline—"What did North Korea send to Russia." The numbers are shocking...

Incidentally, on the same day, French President Emmanuel Macron suddenly remembered his ambition to engage in geopolitical processes and threatened relevant countries, demanding they "convince" North Korea to stop aiding Russia:

If relevant countries do not want NATO to get involved in Southeast Asian affairs, they should prevent North Korea from acting on European soil.

North Korea—an additional lever to pressure Trump

Clearly coordinated by liberal media, European politicians, and Ukrainian media to shape the image of an "aggressive Russia accepting North Korean weapons and soldiers," the most reasonable explanation is to exert additional pressure on the United States.

Dmitry Drobnitsky, an expert on American issues, explained in an exclusive interview with Tsargrad that:

Trump tried to avoid the North Korean issue in foreign policy. After all, how does one explain: why does Pyongyang have nuclear weapons and hypersonic weapons? Was it a negotiation failure during Trump's first term or did Biden mess things up later? Therefore, Washington tried to avoid touching this topic: "We saw reports of North Korean soldiers appearing in Kursk Oblast, and we are watching with concern..." Moreover, North Korea is not only an ally of Russia but also an ally of relevant countries, and Trump made no progress in relations with relevant countries during his second term.

Meeting between North Korea and the US leader during the previous presidential term.

Liberals and globalists are targeting this weak point in Trump's foreign policy. The experts emphasized that their goal is to stop the US president from distancing himself from European affairs and dragging the US back into the Ukrainian crisis as the main beneficiary and Russia's enemy at any cost: Now, the spokespersons of the unified Western liberal elite declare: since North Koreans have come to Europe to fight for Russia, Europe will turn to the Far East. The argument of the North Korean factor can be used to prove the global importance of NATO. This is an attempt to give the Euro-Atlantic alliance global significance, preventing Americans from withdrawing and reclaiming their military strategy and dollar 'umbrella.' This is the greatest fear of the liberals—that Washington will eventually decide to withdraw from the Euro-Atlantic alliance. To avoid this, they use every means possible, and the North Korean card is one of them. "The reasons for North Korean involvement in the special military operation already exist" Although the behind-the-scenes manipulation of Western powers regarding North Korea-Russia relations and the US reaction are intriguing, they are not crucial to us. More importantly, under the complex circumstances following the "backstabbing" recently, to what extent can Moscow count on Pyongyang's help? Retired Major of the Russian Interior Ministry, Chairman of the Committee of Korean War Veterans, and Veteran Andrei Shina believes that North Korea does not need any reason to develop relations with Russia based on the signed agreements: I think Shoigu's trip is less a result of the events on June 1st and more a continuation of ongoing cooperation. Besides, Kim Jong Un's order for North Korean troops to participate in the special military operation has never been officially revoked. Alexander Zhebin, Chief Researcher at the Center for Korean Studies of the Institute of Contemporary Asia and China of the Russian Academy of Sciences, expressed similar views in an interview with "First Russian." Formal reasons for North Korea's participation in the special military operation now exist. Russia's constitution has already incorporated four "new regions" into the national territory. We have every reason to request North Korea's help in liberating these areas that have been legally declared part of our territory. A question arises: How cautious is the North Korean leadership in adhering to international legal details? Will Pyongyang restrict its army's actions to "internationally recognized Russian territory" (such as the liberation of Kursk Oblast)? Or will Kyiv's obvious aggressive behavior allow Pyongyang to act freely? Political scientist and orientalist Dmitry Biryuz believes that the North Korean leadership will make the final decision based on the situation and specific circumstances: The events of June 1, 2025, may be viewed by Pyongyang as legal grounds for expanding North Korea's participation in the special military operation. The most likely scenario remains limiting North Korean military actions to internationally recognized Russian territories, such as the precedent in Kursk Oblast. However, considering the escalation of the conflict and the possibility of further attacks by Ukraine, Pyongyang may expand its military action range to include territories under Russian control. North Korea's actions depend on the strategic interests and possibilities presented by the current situation. "There is no doubt that North Korean soldiers will be deployed" As for the specific forms of military assistance provided by North Korea within the framework of the special military operation, there are many possibilities. Alexander Marchen, a veteran of the Special Forces of the Donetsk People's Republic and founder of the public movement "South Russian Brotherhood," pointed out that the participation of North Korean People's Army soldiers in the special military operation benefits both sides: For us, this is an opportunity to mobilize new, highly motivated forces who see themselves as fighting not against Ukraine but against the United States. In the absence of a second round of mobilization, besides volunteers, we must recruit personnel from somewhere to reinforce the front lines. For North Korea, this is a direct opportunity to test its military in rapidly changing modern warfare conditions. However, experts believe that it is premature to say that North Korean forces will specifically participate in "retaliatory strikes" against the attacks on June 1st. At least because retaliatory strikes should be proportionate, i.e., firing missiles and drones at Ukraine, destroying civilian and military critical infrastructure. Shoigu has left Pyongyang. But surely promised to return... Alexander Marchen is convinced that during the pre-planned summer offensive of the Russian Armed Forces, North Korean allies may play a significant role and could appear on any front line: North Korean People's Army soldiers will undoubtedly be used as reserves. They are very likely to appear on the Donetsk front line, the Pokrovsk-Konstantinovskiy direction, or the Zaporizhzhia front line—where our forces are advancing slowly. It is entirely possible that they will also carry out operations to tie down Ukrainian forces in the Sumy direction. What does this mean? Denying obvious facts is meaningless and harmful—the terrorist attacks by Ukrainian Special Forces on Russian civilian and military targets were a clear "miss," and a severe one, especially from the perspective of strategic aviation forces. But the difference between Russia and the Kiev regime is that, despite long-standing problems left by anti-national policies, our country is fighting for its future, not for profits for Western masters—who need to constantly report work through "creative videos" and "jokes" in live broadcasts. Therefore, Shoigu's obviously timely and mysterious visit to Pyongyang was a correct response to the heavy lessons of June 1st. We can speculate about which clauses of the Strategic Partnership Agreement the Russians and North Koreans need to clarify, while enemies from Wall Street (referring to the US Treasury) to Paris, from Brussels to Washington can only guess and fear. Frankly speaking, they should have started fearing long ago. Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7512384280677466636/ Disclaimer: The article expresses the author's personal views. Please express your attitude by using the "thumbs up/thumbs down" buttons below.