Belarus and North Korea Seal Friendship Treaty in Pyongyang Visit

Overview

• The two leaders signed a “friendship and cooperation” treaty Thursday in Pyongyang, closing a two-day state visit.
• Military symbolism ran through the visit, following Wednesday’s parade with marching troops and salutes and continuing with Lukashenko gifting Kim a rifle and receiving a vase made from shells.
• Both governments support Russia’s war in Ukraine, with South Korean and Western officials reporting North Korean munitions and troops sent to Russia and Belarus providing launch territory in 2022 and agreeing to host Russian tactical nuclear weapons.
• Belarusian officials pointed to modest trade plans that include exporting food and medicines to North Korea and buying North Korean cosmetics, as the pair look for legal commerce under sanctions.
• The outreach comes alongside Minsk’s contacts with Washington, after a meeting with President Trump’s envoy John Coale last week and the release of 250 prisoners that U.S. officials tied to limited sanctions relief.