Russia and China have agreed to deepen military ties between the two nations. Russia’s Security Council secretary said Monday Chinese and Russian naval vessels have begun joint patrols in the Pacific.
 
Meanwhile, the United States has dispatched a nuclear aircraft carrier to South Korea for the first time since 2018. The USS Ronald Reagan and an accompanying carrier strike group are scheduled to hold joint war games with South Korea’s military off the Korean Peninsula. This comes as U.S. officials say North Korea is preparing its first underground nuclear weapons test since 2017.