Free Republic

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reassured Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu during a meeting in Pyongyang that the North Korean government will expand cooperation with Russia in the spirit of the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. The Russian Security Council said in a statement Friday that Shoigu visited Pyongyang on September 13, where he was received by Kim Jong Un.

The US says China will face harsh "consequences" if it aids Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, according to US media reports. Unnamed officials reportedly told multiple US news outlets that Russia asked China to provide military assistance after it began the invasion. The Chinese embassy in Washington said it was not aware of this request. The warning comes ahead of a meeting in Rome on Monday between top US and China officials.