Top Russian security official Sergei Shoigu held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a visit to Pyongyang on Friday, Russian news agencies said, Reuters reports.
The visit took place at a critical juncture in the war in Ukraine, opens new tab, for which the United States says North Korea has supplied ammunition and ballistic missiles to Russia.
The U.S. and its allies are weighing a decision on whether to let Ukraine use Western-supplied long-range missiles to strike deep inside Russia. President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that if that happened, the West would be fighting directly with Russia.
Shoigu was Russian defence minister until May, and is now secretary of the Security Council which brings together Putin, his military and intelligence chiefs and other senior figures.
It said the meetings took place in an "exceptionally trusting, friendly atmosphere" and would make an important contribution to the implementation of agreements reached between Putin and Kim at their summit three months ago.
