Russia, North Korea Sign Defence Pact

In a significant move on Wednesday, Russian President, Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un signed a mutual defense treaty.

A strategic treaty, including a military cooperation pledge, was signed during a summit in Pyongyang, which marked Putin’s first visit to North Korea in 24 years, with Kim expressing his “full support” for Russia’s operations in Ukraine.

“This is truly a landmark document,” Putin remarked during a news conference in the North Korean capital.

He noted that the treaty included provisions for mutual assistance in the event of aggression against either country, according to Russian news agencies.

North Korea and Russia have been allies since the former’s establishment after World War II, and their relationship has strengthened since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The United States and its allies have accused North Korea of supplying ammunition and missiles to Russia for the Ukraine conflict.

This new treaty is likely to heighten concerns about further military support from North Korea.

Putin mentioned that Russia does not exclude the possibility of “military-technical cooperation with the DPRK” under the new agreement, referring to North Korea by its official name.

Kim praised Putin as the “dearest friend of the Korean people” and pledged his country’s “full support and solidarity with the Russian government” regarding the war in Ukraine, which has resulted in numerous sanctions against Moscow.

In response, Putin thanked Kim for North Korea’s “consistent and unwavering” support, despite the UN sanctions regime imposed on North Korea since 2006 due to its weapons programs.

Putin criticized Western “blackmail” and called for a reevaluation of UN sanctions against North Korea.

“The indefinite restrictive regime imposed by the US and its allies at the UN Security Council towards the DPRK should be reconsidered.

“Today, we are jointly resisting the hegemonism and neo-colonial practices of the United States and its allies,” Putin stated.

After the summit, Putin flew to Vietnam for a state visit, with AFP video footage capturing his arrival in Hanoi early Thursday morning.