Ahead of Putin’s meeting with Trump on Friday, the Kremlin announced that Russia’s president had a phone call with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un on Tuesday.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the two nations have built a stronger relationship in recent years, with North Korea deploying an additional 20,000 to 30,000 troops to Russia, according to Ukrainian officials. The Kyiv Independent reported that the Kremlin shared a summary of the call, in which Putin “shared information” with the North Korean leader regarding his upcoming trip to Alaska to meet with Trump. 

North Korean State media also shared that the two leaders spoke about "their will to strengthen cooperation in the future” under their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement.

“Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further developing relations of friendship, neighbourliness, and cooperation across all areas,” the Kremlin added.

During Tuesday's call, Putin commended the "bravery, heroism and self-sacrificing spirit" shown by North Korean forces as they battled alongside Russian troops to push back a Ukrainian offensive into Russia's Kursk border region, North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

KCNA detailed that Kim assured Putin that Pyongyang will completely back "all measures to be taken by the Russian leadership in the future, too," as they explored strengthening relationships in "all fields" under a strategic partnership deal they inked during a summit last year.

Based on South Korean intelligence, North Korea has deployed approximately 15,000 troops to Russia since last fall and has also provided massive amounts of military hardware, including artillery and ballistic missiles, to bolster Putin's war campaign against Ukraine.

Kim has also committed to dispatching thousands of military construction personnel and deminers to Russia's Kursk region, a deployment South Korean intelligence anticipates could occur imminently.

Recent reports suggest that thousands of North Koreans are being transported into Russia to work as forced labourers, addressing Russia's significant labour shortage, the Express U.S. reported. This development coincides with Putin drafting increasing numbers of his nation's men to engage in the brutal conflict on Ukrainian battlefields.

As the war in Ukraine persists, the Kremlin has found itself increasingly dependent on North Korea for manpower, ammunition, and weaponry. South Korean intelligence officials have disclosed to the BBC the extent of this emerging relationship between these two outcast nations.

The British broadcaster, having spoken to several workers who have escaped Russia, revealed that these laborers endure "abysmal" working conditions. Laborers recounted being forced to rise at 6 a.m. and compelled to construct towering apartment buildings until 2 a.m. the following morning, with only two days off annually.

"Waking up was terrifying, realizing you had to repeat the same day over again," said one construction worker. He said he would awaken to discover he couldn't even open his hands, paralyzed from the previous day's work." Some people would leave their post to sleep in the day, or fall asleep standing up, but the supervisors would find them and beat them. It was truly like we were dying," said another.