Pyongyang: Russia's Defense Minister Andrei Belousov has concluded his two-day visit to Pyongyang, where he engaged in high-level discussions with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, as reported by North Korea's state media, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). According to Yonhap News Agency, Belousov, accompanied by a Russian defense ministry delegation, departed Pyongyang on Saturday via Pyongyang Sunan International Airport. During their stay, the delegation visited significant sites including the Liberation Tower and Mangyongdae in the capital. The visit, beginning on Friday, was part of ongoing military cooperation efforts between Russia and North Korea, solidified by a defense treaty signed in June that promises mutual military assistance. On the first day of his visit, Minister Belousov met with Kim Jong-un, who expressed his support for Russia's ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The KCNA detailed that the delegation paid respects at the Liberation Tower on Saturday, laying flowers at the monument dedicated t o Russian soldiers who fought for Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule during World War II. Additionally, the Russian minister visited Mangyongdae, the birthplace of North Korean founder Kim Il-sung. There, he penned a message in a guest book wishing "welfare and peace" for the North Korean people and a "grand victory" for the nation's efforts to establish a strong and independent state. The departure of the Russian delegation was overseen by North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang-chol and Jong Kyong-thaek, director of the military's General Political Bureau, at the airport. While no new agreements were officially announced, discussions likely included potential increases in arms transfers or troop deployments from North Korea to support Russia, as well as the possible compensations from Russia for such support. North Korea has already sent thousands of troops to aid Russia in Ukraine, a move assessed by South Korea and the United States as having involved active combat roles for some troops.