Military cooperation between Russia and North Korea “does not pose a threat to anyone,” ​​Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday, weeks after his high-profile visit to Pyongyang raised speculation that he sought to purchase DPRK arms for the war in Ukraine.

Shoigu’s speech at a security conference in Moscow comes after he held defense talks with his North Korean counterparts, toured a weapons exhibition with DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and watched nuclear missiles roll through Pyongyang during a large-scale military parade in late July.

“During my visit to Pyongyang, I saw personally the achievements of the people of that country in ensuring their security under the leadership of Kim Jong Un,” he said at the Moscow Conference on International Security.

The conference is an annual event held by the Russian defense ministry to discuss military issues, featuring delegates from countries the Kremlin deems friendly or neutral. Around 800 guests from 76 countries, including North Korea, are expected to participate in this year’s conference.

In his speech, Shoigu stressed that the DPRK has “made impressive progress in solving difficult social and defense tasks.”

“Neither the international isolation nor economic sanctions have been able to stop the [DPRK’s] development,” he said.

Speaking of recent improvements in Russia-North Korea bilateral ties, Moscow’s top general overseeing the invasion of Ukraine said “the development of military cooperation [between the two nations] corresponds to the fundamental interests of our peoples and does not pose a threat to anyone.”

Shoigu also stated that Russia’s bilateral ties with China “have exceeded the level of strategic ties and those of allies.”

Andrei Lankov, a professor at Kookmin University and director at Korea Risk Group, called Shoigu’s remarks about North Korea’s economic achievements “fantasies,” pointing out the astronomical gap between the South Korean and DPRK economies.

He added that the Russian leadership’s rhetoric on military cooperation with North Korea aligns with “mutual overtures” by the two countries.

“North Korea demonstrates a desire for closer ties with Russia and Moscow responds accordingly,” he said, adding that this “big-smile policy” is likely to continue in the near future.

North Korea and Russia have pushed to improve ties since last year, with the DPRK one of the few nations to voice support for the Kremlin’s military efforts in Ukraine. Russia has also utilized its veto power on the U.N. Security Council to shield the Kim regime from new sanctions and supplied the DPRK with much-needed grain shipments amid reported food shortages.

Shoigu’s remarks came after Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un exchanged messages on Tuesday to mark Liberation Day, when both Koreas celebrate the end of Japanese imperial rule. The Russian leader underscored the two countries’ “tradition of friendship and cooperation,” according to DPRK state media.

Putin reportedly forwarded a similar note to his South Korean counterpart Yoon Seok-yul, which Lankov described as consistent with the Russian leader’s standard diplomatic protocol.

The U.S. has accused North Korea of covertly supplying heavy weaponry to Russia for its military campaign in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have reportedly confirmed that they are using DPRK-produced rockets, possibly seized from Russian forces.

Edited by Bryan Betts