The Kremlin reportedly invited the North Korean military to join in three-way military exercises with Beijing, proposing the three nations conduct joint naval maneuvers, as the leaders of Russia and North Korea plan an upcoming summit.
Per Reuters, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu proposed the exercises to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un during a July meeting. On Monday, he confirmed the offer, saying, “Why not? These are our neighbors. There’s an old Russian saying: you don’t choose your neighbors and it’s better to live with your neighbors in peace and harmony.”
Kim has also committed to meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok later this month, per the New York Times, where the two tyrants will discuss increasing North Korea’s supply of arms to Russia given Moscow’s rapid burn rate of material in Ukraine.