A US Navy aircraft carrier has arrived in South Korea just days after Russia and North Korea signed a defense pact

At Putin and Kim’s meeting in Pyongyang, the two leaders displayed warm relations and agreed to support each other should one be attacked, similar to Article Five of the NATO doctrine. Putin also suggested he could send weapons to North Korea, which would have major repercussions for relations on the peninsula and beyond.

The pact between Russia and North Korea compelled a swift response from South Korea, which threatened to increase its support for Ukraine’s war effort by directly sending lethal aid to Kyiv — a change from its current policy of only sending ammunition via the United States.

After the aircraft carrier finishes its exercises, it’ll depart for the Middle East, where it will replace the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group. The Eisenhower left the region on Saturday after a relentless battle against Yemen’s Houthis, who have been attacking shipping lanes in the Red Sea in support of Palestinians.