The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States are set to hold annual security talks amid concerns about deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia and the participation of North Korean troops in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Defense minister Kim Yong-hyun and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will sit down for talks on Wednesday at the Pentagon near Washington for the annual Security Consultative Meeting.

The meeting is a major military policy consultation between Seoul and Washington, where the defense chiefs of both countries discuss pending security issues.

Their discussions also cover reports from the working-level South Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue and the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group.

Considering the recent escalation of tensions, this year the allies are expected to issue strong messages for both North Korea and Russia.